


drawn into the music and fall right into it

by n7punk



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Popstar, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Modern AU but still different species, Paparazzi, Social Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:09:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7punk/pseuds/n7punk
Summary: “Adora,” Bow calls from a few feet ahead of her, having continued on while she was cornered by a fan,thanks Bow-“Come meet your co-star!” he calls.Adora looks up, making eye contact with a split gaze, and promptly drops her coffee.“Hey, Adora.”(Or, popstar/idol Adora and actress Catra modern celebrity AU)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 214
Kudos: 873
Collections: Catradora AUs by n7punk





	1. to the start where the end awaits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a hybrid popstar/idol au. I like k-pop but I don’t know enough to go full idol. Bright Moon Entertainment is a Korean-owned company trying to branch into using the k-pop group model overseas, but all the songs are full English. Its groups are put together by the studio, train together for a little while before their debut, and then release albums every year or two.  
> Catra, Adora, & Glimmer are 21 and Bow is 22. Frosta is 16. The other members of Rebellion & Frght-Z are all late twenties. I’m not really sure what ages the other princesses are supposed to be in canon other than somewhere in their 20s, I’ll be honest.  
> Some helpful terms: Craft (services) is essentially the food on a film shoot. A treatment is kind of like a screenplay for a music video. Line distribution is how much screen/singing time each member gets in a song. BME = Bright Moon Entertainment.

It happens during an award show, in only her second year getting invited to these things. Rebellion’s second album _Heartstrings_ is up for six awards. Adora is anxious about the album's reception at the show since it has only been released for two months now. _Heartstrings_ quickly became a number one hit, going platinum at a record-breaking speed, but she is protective of the album that is so personal to her. Truthfully, though, what she is nervous about is not if they will take home any of the awards.

Perfuma is attending the show as a member of Rebellion. Scorpia is attending as a member of Frght-Z. That means neither of them are using their plus ones on each other – it would be a little soon, anyway, considering they _just_ started dating – and that leaves Scorpia free to use her invite on a friend. Her best friend.

 _Adora’s_ best friend, once upon a time. And more – a lot more.

When Adora catches sight of Catra curled around Scorpia’s arm, chuckling at something Entrapta said, her heart does a flip. When she catches Catra’s eye she blinks in shock at her, almost like she had not been prepared for her to actually be attending the show.

It is not until Adora is on stage for the sixth time that night, accepting the final award that she possibly can, that she works up the nerve to say it.

“This album is a love letter to my one true muse. There are ups and downs in it, just like in life, but that is what our story has always been,” Adora does not dare to glance at the side of the audience where Frght-Z is seated as she lies in front of everybody, fully aware Catra can hear her next words, “If you are watching, thank you for every moment. You will always have a place in my heart.”

Adora walks off the stage with her chest pounding. She already knows Angella is going to be pulling her aside the second the cameras shut off, but she does not care. All she can think about is getting to the afterparty and praying Catra sticks around.

\--

When Adora makes her way into the afterparty, she is shocked to find Catra has, in fact, stayed. What's more, she is _alone_ , leaned up against a wall in a relatively quiet corner, a full drink loose in her hand. Adora knows her – it is more of a prop than anything else. It is almost like she is inviting Adora to talk to her, coming to the show and then giving them privacy. Adora approaches cautiously, dodging a few people who wave to her. Catra watches her approach out of the corner of her eye, her expression unreadable as Adora walks straight into what could very well be a trap. She pauses when she reaches Catra, unsure of what to say. Catra fixes her gaze to the left, looking out the bay windows and into the night.

"Subtle," she comments on the show. Adora snorts, feeling herself relax a little. Catra is not _mad_ at least.

"If you let my calls through, I might have been able to use a more delicate approach," Adora answers. She inwardly winces - too much, probably. Especially given the shit she just pulled on stage.

To her shock, Catra _sighs_. She finally meets her eyes, and Adora sees a storm of emotions inside them. "I listened to it. Look, Adora, you haven't changed and we both know it," she tells her, eyes tired as she watches Adora's reaction to that. Adora feels like she is in shock. The sentiment is not surprising, it is _true_ , but the implication contained within is staggering.

“What, so if I get better at taking care of myself, you’ll talk to me again?” she asks, stunned. Catra actually laughs, an almost hopeful light dancing in her eyes as she looks away briefly before making eye contact again. She looks so tired.

“Yeah, we'll get back together when you learn your career is not the most important thing in this world. The day you take a vacation is the day I call you back,” Catra promises, disbelief clear in her voice. She looks like she is already preparing for Adora to fail her again. Without another word she pushes off the wall, and Adora is too stunned to do anything but watch her go.

The last year and a half has been the most painful of Adora’s life, and that is _saying_ something, considering what her first nineteen had been like with Catra at her side. Adora’s life has struggled to have meaning without Catra. Her music has suffered, too – to the point where their producer Casta jokingly offered to have her ex kidnapped so Adora could have her inspiration back.

That was what spurred Adora to write from her memories of Catra, leading to her pouring out an entire album just about them. The new material became their second album, and it ended up being record-breaking. But all that success did not mean much of anything without Catra. She had started down this path because she loved music, true, but she had sacrificed herself for it not because of the music, but because of Catra. What good was all the success in the world if she was not using it to provide for them like she had promised?

So Catra made the offer, joke or not, and Adora took it to heart.

\--

“I want to take a vacation,” Adora says six weeks later, and watches the entire room fall silent as they turn and stare at her. She does her best not to fidget her hands beneath the conference table – it is glass, anyway, it would not offer any protection.

“You- I had to have heard that wrong,” Glimmer says, despite being seated right beside her, staring at her with wide eyes. Adora winces, slouching down in her seat a little-

“Adora, we would _love_ for you to take a vacation,” Perfuma assures from across the table. Adora sends her a thankful smile, but it is small. The word still feels wrong. “I think we are just surprised. In the last two years you have never taken time off. Even after the _hospital_ ,” Perfuma clarifies.

“Both times,” Bow adds. Adora huffs, but she catches Bow’s eye and he looks _proud_. She glances over to their manager. Angella just gives her an encouraging smile. Slowly, Adora sits up in her seat and squares her shoulders like she is preparing for battle.

“I know you guys have asked me to take time off before. I know there were times when I needed it more, but I really can’t think of a better time than now. I was thinking of taking two weeks in a month or so, right before we film the music video for _Found_. Maybe going on a retreat or something, just focus on music and myself for a bit,” Adora tells them. Her fellow band members look varying levels of proud, Perfuma and Bow in near tears while Mermista remains largely aloof aside from a spark in her eyes. Glimmer is biting her lip and looking at her with shining eyes. Frosta looks a bit confused – she only just joined the group for their third album to fill the space Entrapta left when she switched to Frght-Z after their debut, so she has not been witness to Adora’s last three collapses from overworking.

“I would love for you to be well-rested for the single release, Adora. The only question is how we are going to arrange the shoot,” Angella points out. Adora sighs, glancing hopefully to her left where Bow sits. Adora always has her hands all over these things. As the leader and the group’s songwriter she is often the focus of them. Adora is a terrible actress, and the only way she knows to face an unsure situation is over planning and strategizing. Bow catches her eye and understands her meaning. He leans forward excitedly. “I would _love_ to take it,” he promises her. Adora sends him a thankful look of relief. Despite it being her song, Bow had written the treatment for this music video. It was the first he had written completely solo. It feels _right_ to step back and let him have this.

“Are you sure you are okay with this, Adora?” Perfuma asks, glancing between them. “I know this song is important to you.” Adora swallows, but she nods. The song _is_ important to her, might end up being the most important song of her career, but-

“If I want the song to be more than wishful thinking, I have to do this,” Adora returns. She gets a few raised brows, but Angella nods.

“Then start looking at vacation destinations,” she says.

\--

Adora should not be this unused to pulling up to shoots feeling _rested_ and ready to take on the day.

“You look well,” Angela praises as she steps out of the SUV sent to pick her up. Adora beams at her despite the early hour.

“I am as anxious as expected, but I feel good,” Adora tells her as Angella starts to lead her around the street barriers blocking off their filming location. No paparazzi in sight yet – maybe they will get through a public music video shoot in peace for once. They have rented out the entire fair ground for the day, there really is no reason for anyone to come down its entrance road and find out Bright Moon Entertainment is filming here today.

“I am proud of you for taking time like you have, Adora. Bow has really stepped up and taken care of the shoot details in your absence,” Angella promises her. A PA comes running up to them, a tray of coffees in her hand and smiling anxiously at Adora as she holds them out. Maybe a fan, maybe pre-warned about how tired Adora tends to be on these shoots. Adora sends her a small smile and takes one of the recycled cups just to be polite. She doesn’t need it - the ten-day writing retreat had really done wonders for her. She had written a lot while in the mountains, but it still felt like a breath of relief. Besides, she was _always_ writing. She has hopped out of the shower to write down lyrics before. Still, calling it a writing retreat made it easier for her to let herself accept it than if she referred to it as a vacation. Calling it a retreat made it possible for her to finally follow Catra’s instructions.

_The day you take a vacation is the day I call you back._

Adora is not, actually, expecting Catra to just call her back, no matter what she said at the party. But she and Catra are going to run into each other more now Perfuma and Scorpia are getting serious, and though Adora is trying to be realistic about her chances, she knows they are _zero_ if she does not fix what tore them apart in the first place. Even if they don’t get back together, there is not a single person in the world that Adora wants in her life – _back_ in her life – more than Catra. Adora can recognize that her career came first even if the reason was _for_ Catra – so she could provide for them, so they could be safe and happy together. The problem had been the _happy_ part. Adora had been busy ever since Bright Moon had put together Rebellion, but when she was hospitalized from running herself into the ground on their first press tour, it had been too much for Catra.

 _You can kill yourself for this if you want to – I don’t have to watch it happen. I’m tired of seeing the woman I love in pain_ , Catra had told her. It was the first time she had said she loved her like that. Catra walked out of their shitty, hole-in-the-wall apartment and straight out of Adora’s life.

And then she saw her at the party, and everything changed. None of this mattered, not really, if it did not make them happy - and it was making Adora miserable, taking Catra from her. Adora pulled back, trusting far more of the group’s details to Glimmer and Bow and all the members of Rebellion’s team.

She had been telling the truth to Angella when she arrived on-location. She was anxious, fidgeting the whole car ride to the shoot location, but her time resting had done her good and made her even more confident in what she was doing. She trusted Bow – trusted his vision, his direction. This shoot was his baby, and she was honestly excited to see what he had planned out. He had at least included her in costuming, sending her his final drafts and letting her veto things that were far too _Bow_ for her. She loved him, but she didn’t _dress_ like him

“We’ll be in the House of Mirrors for the performance shots first. Your lead and the background actors for the story scenes will be coming in after breakfast,” Angella informs her as she pulls her towards hair and makeup. “Let’s get you dressed up.”

\--

Music video shoots are always hard on Adora. She usually manages to push off being too much of a focus with arguments about line distribution, but having been so uninvolved in this shoot she had not had the opportunity. The video was mostly story, starring her. Even worse, _Found_ is a love song – one she had written after the award show, about a lover coming back to her other half and finding herself.

It was what Catra would call _lovey-dovey bullshit_ , but she would have said it with a small smile on her face. Adora would not be fooled. If Catra listened to it, there is no way she would not know this song was for her. It made Adora anxious, but the distance she has had from the shoot eases her a little. Even if Catra does not ask, word will make its way through the chain of friends, ex-group members, and girlfriends that Adora did not plan out this shoot. If anything is _too much_ , aside from the song itself, she can push blame off on Bow.

“I can’t believe how much screen time you gave me. You know how bad I am at this,” Adora groans to Bow as they walk side-by-side out of the wardrobe trailer.

“It’s a love song, Adora. How can you have a love song without love?” he asks, taking her by the shoulder to steer her towards the concrete park housing the fair’s food trucks. “Come on, I spoke with Angella while you were getting changed. Your love interest finished with the hairstylist and is waiting by craft. Let’s introduce her to your particular brand of acting, yeah?”

Adora groans again. “I haven’t taken out my contacts yet,” she complains, but she lets Bow lead her around.

“We don’t start actually filming for another thirty minutes. You have time,” he placates. Adora grumbles a little as she lets herself be pulled along, but she does not push the point. She does not say _it’s easier if I never see them_. Her casting requirements for anybody she is supposed to act alongside as a love interest have already raised enough eyebrows.

The second they get within eyeshot of craft services the PA from earlier that morning pops up, smiling brightly as she hands Adora another coffee without asking.

“Uh-“ Adora manages, looking between the girl and the coffee. _Definitely_ an overeager fan, then. The girl continues to smile at her sweetly, but Adora can see panic setting in underneath the façade. She just wanted to be helpful, to have a moment of connection with an idol, Adora reasons. “Thanks,” she manages, sheepishly. The grin on the girl’s face turns genuine as she beams, bowing a little to her before backing away.

“Adora,” Bow calls from a few feet ahead of her, having continued on while she was cornered by a fan, _thanks Bow-_ “Come meet your co-star!” he calls.

Adora looks up, making eye contact with a split gaze, and promptly drops her unwanted coffee.

“Hey, Adora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I already wrote a modern au where Catra leaves Adora and then they get back together. YOU know I already wrote said modern au. We both know we have been here before, but that didn’t fucking stop me. Listen, I just wanted to play with paparazzi okay? Besides this one is shorter and a lot less angsty.  
> Chapter title from WONDERLAND by ATEEZ. I’m gonna try and use k-pop lyrics for all the chapter titles in this fic, but differing translations for the Korean lyrics might make things a bit odd. Fic title from Oh my god by (G)I-DLE.  
> I'll up the fic rating when I need to if I end up putting smut in this. I haven't decided yet.


	2. the once familiar ways feel strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m her muse,” Catra says, smirking and mildly delighted. Adora watches the dawning realization on Angella’s face and the downright horror on Bow’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU is gonna move at breakneck speed so buckle your asses in.  
> Chapter title from YOU AND I by Dreamcatcher.

Adora gapes at Catra, standing poised and smirking with her hand on her hip, a tight pink miniskirt limiting her tail’s movement as it swishes in amusement from below the hem. She looks far too satisfied by this development. Adora is still staring, lukewarm coffee splashed all over the leg of her thankfully-black pants, brain in an overdrive of _how_ and _why_.

“I’ll admit, I really thought you arranged this,” Catra tells her, strolling forward and glancing at the puddle around her feet with a downright _smug_ smirk.

“I- uh- I was on vacation,” Adora manages to stammer. Her mouth is still hanging open. She is taking baby steps towards regaining coherency.

 _Like you wanted_ , she doesn’t say. Catra quirks an eyebrow at her, her smirk softening down to a smile now.

“I heard,” she responds.

 _Is that why you took the job_ , Adora doesn’t ask. Her mouth is working about as well as her brain, right now.

“You two know each other?” Angella’s voice comes floating in. Adora is still looking at nothing but Catra, her eyes bright and appraising as she, in turn, looks at nothing but Adora. Adora is not sure when Angella got here, but her voice sounds nearby. Close enough to overhear, clearly.

Adora finally tears her eyes away from Catra, finding Angella standing only a few feet away from Bow and narrowing her eyes at Catra as if she is a threat to be appraised. Adora has to cut this off before Angella starts running a background check – it has happened before and it will happen again. Angella knows enough to be rightfully protective of Adora, but Catra is not a part of her past she needs to be worrying about.

“Yeah, we do. Um, meet Catra, guys. She is my-“ Adora cuts off, realizing she does not know _what_ Catra is, much less what Catra wants Adora’s bandmates and boss to know her as. She sends a desperate look to Catra, and it may have been a year, but the two of them can still communicate without words. Catra understands Adora’s question and her lips twitch in amusement, but she turns to face Angella so she can address her.

“I’m her _muse_ ,” Catra says, smirking and mildly delighted. Adora watches the dawning realization on Angella’s face and the downright _horror_ on Bow’s. Catra used to roll her eyes when Adora called her that, but she always smiled softly when Adora argued it sounded more romantic than _girlfriend_ or _partner_.

“ _You’re_ Heartstrings?” Bow almost _cries_ , voice strangled and loud enough to attract the attention of several of the other crewmembers loitering nearby, but still mercifully far away enough to not actually understand the distraught words.

“That is what the band decided to call the – _inspiration_ behind our Heartstrings album,” Adora rushes to clarify, stepping around the coffee puddle to place a hand on Catra’s shoulder almost on instinct. She is standing alongside Catra now and finding it a bit hard to breathe as she looks down at the shorter woman. Catra is still reveling in the chaos she has caused by _being_. She sends Adora an almost relieved look, and Adora knows what it means – a silent appreciation for continuing to keep her details so private that the other members did not know the name of the girl they were singing about, even after the breakup.

“Not _all_ of them are about me,” Catra argues, looking back over to Bow. “Parallel is on that album.”

Adora turns bright red. Catra notices, because of course she does. For the first time since this encounter began, she is thrown off, openly staring at Adora. She recovers much quicker than Adora, however. “Adora, you never _said_ ,” she purrs, ear flicking in amusement. Adora becomes aware of the fact that Frosta has made her way within earshot and that Perfuma, Mermista, and Glimmer are not far behind.

“Can we _please_ not talk about this now? Here, specifically?” she asks, looking _anywhere_ but at the people she works with every day. Unfortunately, that leaves her looking into Catra’s eyes, only a few inches from her and completely taking her breath away.

Catra’s eyes are calculating as she sweeps her gaze over Adora slowly, up and down her body before focusing on her face. Adora knows she must be bright red, but she does her best to hold Catra’s gaze. The look there softens. Adora practically feels like she is _floating_ having Catra look at her like that again. Catra turns around, directing her attention back to Angella, and Adora does her best to not let her disappointment show.

“Adora is a terrible actress on a _good_ day. Can we get 30 minutes alone so we can talk before shooting? Otherwise she might pass out the second I touch her,” Catra tells Angella, tail flicking as she speaks. Angella glances between them, looking to Adora for approval. Adora nods eagerly. She is not going to throw this opportunity away, not with Catra here somehow, preparing to act like she is _in love with her_ again.

Adora feels a weird mix of hope, anxiety, and dawning horror at that realization. _Why_ would Catra take this job? Especially thinking Adora had been the one to hire her?

“Filming is supposed to start in 20 minutes. I’ll have them push it. Take your thirty in the trailer by the pier,” Angella agrees, still watching Adora like she expects her to back out. Catra nods in confirmation, taking Adora’s hand without having to ask or even _look_ , leading her out of the loose circle of craft services and right past Glimmer and Mermista. Glimmer mouths _what is going on?_ to her while Mermista goes with _what the hell?_ but Adora ignores them, even as she hears a shrill exclamation from Frosta behind her. She has no doubt Frosta has heard from Bow who is pulling Adora along.

\--

“When BME reached out to me, I really thought you had requested me,” Catra tells her after they stand across from each other for a few moments in silence. Catra is leaned against the cabinets in the cramped trailer, Adora against the door. There is, at best, two feet of space between them. The lighting is terrible and the recycled air is stiff, but Catra looks gorgeous to her in the yellow light.

“Why did you take the job, then?” Adora asks, pretending she cannot hear how desperate her voice is. She has to know – has to understand what game Catra is running here.

Catra shrugs, but Adora can tell it is one of her _distancing_ shrugs, trying to downplay the importance of what she is about to say. “I asked Scorpia some questions as soon as I got the offer. I heard you were stepping back. I still thought you knew, it seemed too much of a coincidence otherwise, but I had to see if it was true,” she tells her, watching Adora’s reaction carefully. Adora ignores the way her breath is catching. Catra- Catra was giving her a _chance_.

“Catra, you were right. What you said at the party. I’m not expecting anything, it would be stupid to, but you were right, and I’m– I want to _try_ ,” Adora tells her, too honestly, too much. Catra looks stricken, ears dropping and quickly looking away. Adora bites her bottom lip, cursing herself for saying the wrong thing, and waits. There is nothing else she can do – she told the truth.

“The song?” Catra asks, still looking indistinctly away. She does not need to say more.

“Yeah,” Adora sighs, starting to run a hand through her hair before remembering she will ruin all the work her stylist did. She drops her hands back to her sides. “I wrote it after the party. When I – committed to listening to you. It was, I don’t know, like my pledge to follow through?”

Catra’s eyes find her, shining and _full_ , but Adora does not know with _what_. She feels like her breath has been stolen away all over again. She may pass out from lack of oxygen at this point. After a long minute of silence, Catra breaks the moment, looking down and reaching inside the varsity jacket wardrobe had given her. She pulls out her old, cracked phone – the same one she bought when she was seventeen and they were dirt poor foster kids – and begins working away on it.

Adora has no idea what that means. That Catra is mad at her, probably. It might even be a hint for her to go now, thirty minutes be damned. Catra used to do this – used send a glare to one of the other kids in the foster home and then ignore them until they gave up and left. Adora is not used to being on the receiving end of it.

Catra glances up at her and sighs when she catches her expression, but she returns to looking at her phone. “I’m unblocking your number,” she says, conversationally, like she is not throwing Adora into a typhoon without a life raft. If Adora had not been leaning against the wall she would have collapsed. Catra glances up again, expression soft as she takes in Adora’s astonishment. It only takes her a moment more, and then she is shoving her phone back inside her jacket.

“Unblocked on socials, too. Don’t you dare tag me in anything, I don’t need your rabid fans knowing I exist,” Catra tells her, dismissive and casual. Adora’s entire concept of reality is coming apart at the seams.

“Does this mean-?” she starts, stops. She does not know how that sentence would finish. Does this mean we are talking again? Does this mean you still love me too? Does this mean I can stop going to every Frght-Z event pretending to be there just to support Entrapta?

Catra looks at her, searching. Her brows are drawn together, lower lip bitten between her teeth. Carefully, she pushes off the opposite wall and approaches Adora. Adora holds deadly still, letting Catra come as close as she is comfortable with. Catra’s hand comes up to rest on the wall beside Adora’s head as she slowly drapes herself across Adora’s chest, dropping her head to Adora’s shoulder before Adora can panic that she is going to kiss her. Adora lets out the breath she had been holding and reaches up with shaking hands, wrapping them around Catra’s waist carefully. She does not risk drawing her closer, settling for turning her head to tuck her nose into Catra’s hair.

“It means – I’m willing to see. Friends first, yeah?” Catra tells her, voice soft and muffled. Adora realizes Catra is hiding her face, but she is _fine_ with that, fine with a lot, actually, because she has not felt this good in _years_.

“I can do that. Whatever you are comfortable with,” Adora tells her, wanting to ask about _first_ but willing to let it lie for now because the idea of having Catra back at all just makes her so _happy_. For a few moments, Adora is content to just hold Catra against her, feeling her soft hair tickle her nose and the steady rise and fall of her breathing, rumbling just a touch. She is content with the knowledge that Catra is _willing to see_ , that this one moment is not all she gets.

Then Catra stirs, not pulling away, but raising her head from her shoulder. Adora startles back, but the air between them is hardly is enough to measure.

“Adora, you are a terrible actress,” Catra says, almost like she expects Adora to argue. Adora has no idea where this is going now, but she nods anyway. They are close enough she half-expects her nose to brush against Catra as she does so. She cringes internally at the thought of Catra, who is going to be at the fucking _Oscars_ this year for her latest film, watching her fumbling attempts at making it through their past music videos.

Catra has one hand at the collar of Adora’s shirt, Adora realizes, and her brain stutters when Catra’s hand flits over her skin as she toys with it. “See, this is why we needed to talk,” Catra adds, rolling her eyes as she pointedly looks down at the single point of contact that is making Adora _lose her mind_.

“This is why? My acting skills?” Adora asks, a bit incredulous. That actually earns her a laugh from Catra. She leans back, just a bit, but she makes no effort to leave Adora’s arms, and she does not drop her collar.

“There were multiple reasons,” she tells her, eyes light with amusement. “But, like I said, you are a terrible actress,” she continues. Adora just nods again, forcing her breathing steady as Catra flattens her hand across her collarbones. “So don’t act, Adora. For today, let’s just be us again. And maybe if that does not feel too awkward, then we will know?” Catra tells her, starting confident, and then trailing off into a question, biting her lip as she looks up at her.

Adora _stares_. This is the furthest thing from how she imagined this conversation going. Not that she is complaining, but she feels like she is twelve steps behind, playing catch up. “You’re okay with that?” Adora asks, brows drawing together as she searches Catra’s face. Catra flushes, but she does not back down.

“Maybe I missed you, too,” she whispers, eyes locked together. It is not a love confession, not the way Adora’s songs have been, but it is in the way Catra is capable of saying it. Adora draws a shuddering breath and gives a single nod of agreement. Catra lifts her hand from Adora’s collar to carefully cup her cheek, gentle like she is made of glass. Her gaze is soft with a tinge of sadness.

“We’re going to have to be comfortable with each other if we are going to make it through today,” Catra tells her. “We have some time left. Let’s just – spend it together, okay? Getting used to each other again. I had two weeks to prepare for today, but you are going to need all the help you can get,” she teases, the way she finishes a clear misdirect for her opening emotion. Clear to Adora, anyway, with sixteen years of Catra expertise under her belt.

“Are you suggesting we use our remaining time to cuddle?” she teases back, tightening her arms just a little around Catra’s waist cautiously. Catra rolls her eyes, but she leans in closer again.

“Even with acting out of the equation, you are going to need to be used to touching me again if we are going to get through this with anything usable,” Catra tells her, resting her head on Adora’s shoulder again. Experimentally, Adora raises one hand to scratch the spot behind Catra’s ear she always loved. A purr springs forth between them immediately, and Catra’s ears twitch but she sighs with contentment and leans into the touch.

“I- I don’t want to get used to this again and lose it,” Adora whispers, voice soft. If Catra was looking at her, she would not be able to admit it, but she needs to say it. She needs to take this one small step to protect her heart before she gives in to Catra again.

Catra presses just a bit closer, tightening her grip on Adora. “It’s- complicated, okay? But Adora, I missed you so fucking much. And now I know how you felt about me- I’m not leaving again. There is no one who knows me like you do. There never could be,” Catra tells her, voice thick with emotion. Adora takes a shaking breath, dropping her hand from behind Catra’s ear to the back of her neck and squeezing lightly. Catra takes the hint, raising her head and meeting her eyes. The raw vulnerability in her eyes almost knocks Adora over. Catra is the best actress she has ever met. If she wanted to hide how she was feeling right now, she could do so easily. She really is letting her back in.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with this? Today?” Adora asks, eyes searching. Some of the emotion clears and Catra sends her an annoyed look, but the smile on her lips is fond.

“I would not have taken the job if I wasn’t. Now, do you want to take our last few minutes to cuddle, or do you want to go out and face your entourage?” Catra asks. It is not even a _question_. Adora pulls Catra tight against her as the other woman laughs, unsurprised.

\--

Adora half expects to step out of the trailer to find her entire group with their ears pressed against the door. When she walks out, turning around and offering her hand to Catra to guide her as she descends the trailer steps, she is honestly impressed by their restraint. Adora has always been tightlipped about her past and personal life, it is the only way she feels she can keep it out of the press, and Catra has suddenly appeared like an open door to it. Even back when they were dating Rebellion did not know who her partner was, although that was initially due to her not being out professionally.

She expected her bandmates to swamp them the second they returned. Instead, they are standing just outside of earshot of the trailer, huddled in a loose half-circle opened in the direction of the trailer so they can all keep an eye out for the door opening. Even from here Adora can tell they are whispering to each other furiously. Adora sees several phones tuck away, no doubt googling Catra frantically, as they are spotted. The heads huddled together come up, everyone plastering on faux-innocent smiles. Well, everyone but Mermista, who continues to look blank and aloof despite her phone definitely having been part of the circle. Frosta opts to scowl, instead, eyes focusing on Catra as she drapes herself over Adora’s arm.

“Well? Going to introduce me to your friends?” Catra asks, all confidence in the light of day. Like Adora said – she could have Oscars.

“Promise not to bully them. You could tear them apart in minutes,” Adora tells her, even as she leads Catra over.

“I resent that!” Frosta shouts over the gap between them, apparently enough distance crossed for their conversation to be overheard. Catra just purrs in amusement as she scans her calculating gaze over the group.

“Everybody, this is Catra. Catra, this is Rebellion,” Adora introduces with a sweeping gesture. Mermista narrows her eyes at where Catra is molded around Adora’s bicep.

“Your ex. Who left you a year ago,” Mermista corrects. Adora winces, raising her free arm to rub at the back of her neck.

“My ex who Bow hired,” Adora defends. It is a low blow redirecting attention to Bow like that, but Adora _really_ does not want a fight to break out between Catra and the group. Catra’s grip on her arm tightens, tail flicking high to tap her between her shoulder blades. It is silent praise for the misdirect, dating back to their days sneaking around behind Shadow’s back in the home. Adora feels her breath come a bit quicker at the _familiarity_ of it all.

Bow looks like he wants to die on the spot. “I’m _sorry_. It is not easy finding an actress on short notice who fits your specs, okay? If I had known, I never would have done it,” Bow stammers. Catra rolls her eyes, breath rumbling slightly with amusement at Bow's discomfort.

“ _I_ knew, and if it was going to be a problem I would not have taken the job,” Catra placates, surprising Adora. Adora looks down at her, but Catra does not meet her gaze. Her ears twitch back – _embarrassment_ – and Adora cannot help but wonder why she is comforting people she has claimed hatred for the moment they started “working Adora into the ground.”

Maybe they have both come far enough to admit Adora did that to herself.

“So, what, you two are just fine with acting like you are on a date all afternoon? Adora, do you know what an ex is?” Frosta asks, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. That is rich coming from Frosta, young enough she has never been on even _one_ , but Adora lets it slide.

“We’re - friends now?” Adora tries, desperately glancing at Catra for help. Catra gives her an obvious _you’re on your own_ look, but she makes no effort to refute Adora’s point. Adora lets out a sigh. “Can you guys just not make this any harder than it is already going to be?”

The entire group levels her with a look that clearly says _no_. The entire group minus Bow, who is still looking at Adora with so much remorse she is starting to feel bad. This is what she gets for keeping her past a secret from them, she guesses.

“Don’t worry, it is going to be the best shoot of Adora’s career,” Catra assures them, wrapping her arm around Adora’s waist and pulling her closer. Adora manages to successfully stamp down her blush this time - she thinks.

“Really?” Perfuma asks, voice far too hopeful. She wants this weird, not-conflict to be over already, Adora can tell.

Adora meets Catra’s gaze to find her looking up at her with a smile that is all _teeth_ and _fangs_. “She does not have to act,” Catra supplies. Adora groans, but she makes no effort to pull away from Catra as every one of her bandmates focuses in on her with laser intensity.

“Hang me out to dry, why don’t you?” she asks. Catra laughs, and her chest bursts with warmth.

\--

It is, it turns out, the best shoot of Adora’s miserable acting career. Despite the way her bandmates hover anxiously around her between every shot thanks to Catra’s announcement – and Adora is still unclear if she was outing Adora as still in love with her, because everybody _knows that_ already, or if she was telling Adora this _was_ a date – Adora has fun. She does not have to worry about acting so much as following the directions Bow gives them. They spend most of the day on their fake date. Bow is nervous to direct them to so much as touch each other at first, but Catra has no such qualms at taking his directions and running with it until she has Adora giving her a piggyback ride down the pier. The song echoes in the air around them as Angella calls after them to be careful, worry in her voice almost drowned out by Catra’s laughter.

It should be weird, laughing with Catra again like this, especially with all the cameras, and people, and calls of _cut_ ringing out around them. Every time Adora feels the reality of the situation start to creep in on her, Catra sees the anxiety clouding her eyes. She takes Adora’s chin in her hand and tilts her down to meet her gaze.

“Focus on me. Focus on us. It is just you and I,” she tells her, despite the numerous voices in the background threatening to disprove her. It still works. Adora is so used to getting lost in Catra’s eyes, her voice, her smile, the brush of her tail against her arm, it is startling easy to let herself slip back under her spell.

She never left it to begin with.

The final shot of the music video is a timed one, supposed to take place at the end of the boardwalk during sunset. It is a tricky shot, one they will only have enough light to try a few times. Adora has very specific stipulations in her contract around what she will do for promo work. One of the clauses is that Adora will not kiss anyone or act suggestively for a shoot. It had been a basic rule to her, respecting her and Catra’s relationship, and added protection in case BME went back on Angella’s word and made her pretend to be straight.

The final shot of the music video is written around that rule. She and Catra would walk to the end of the boardwalk, look out to the ocean for a moment while they stole glances at each other, and then turn and lean in as if to kiss each other. It was a drone shot, rising out of frame and into the sunset before they would have to get too close.

Bow is extremely flustered as they set up the final shot. Despite having gotten more comfortable directing Adora to be affectionate with her handsy ex – Catra was doing it to keep her in the moment and they both knew it - the unspoken line they are crossing with this shot clearly puts him on edge. After an entire day of being in almost constant contact with Catra, Adora is less worried about it than she had been when she thought it would be done with a stranger this morning. She lays a hand on Bow’s shoulder and sends him a reassuring look before walking out to meet Catra at their starting cue.

They only end up taking the shot once. They walk hand in hand, Adora finding it easy to ignore the drone hovering before them while focusing in on Catra. She knows she is supposed to look away when they reach the end of the walk, but she _can’t_ , so drawn in watching Catra’s eyes dance in the sunset. Catra looks towards her shyly to steal her glance and finds herself suddenly meeting Adora’s eyes. She seems to instantly be trapped by Adora’s gaze, her own eyes widening as she turns towards her. They draw together like magnets, Adora’s hand coming up to cup Catra’s cheek without her telling it to. They are facing each other, now, the look in Catra’s eyes soft, anxious, and excited. They lean in without any need for words or creative instruction, Adora’s eyes flicking down to Catra’s lips briefly. The sound of the drone picks up as it lifts up to capture the sunset shot, but it does not move fast enough to miss Adora as she, completely dismissive of the world around them, seals their lips together in a real kiss, Catra leaning into her happily.

Somewhere in the distance, someone wolf whistles. Mermista, probably. When they pull apart, Adora stares down at Catra, blush blazing, and giggles, a little flustered and completely awkward. Catra just rolls her eyes, but her ears are twitched back and her blush is furious. She does not pull away from where Adora’s arms have come up around her.

They stay there, just standing in each other’s air, for a long moment before Bow calls out to them and breaks the spell. They review the shot when they walk back up the boardwalk. No one says anything as they watch it, the camera rising past their lips just a second before they connect, offering the _illusion_ that they could have not kissed. From the angle, everybody can tell they did. The open affection, the raw surprise of being caught looking and taking the chance – it is all perfect. Bow calls wrap on the shoot, and Adora offers to walk Catra out to her car to avoid the burning stares from her bandmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Parallel" is the closest thing Adora has released to a sex song lol. She really did not want to discuss the things she did or did not want to do with Catra with bby Frosta in earshot.  
> Like in "catcher", Shadow Weaver's legal name in this fic is first name Shadow, last name Weaver. Bite me. Also, it is in the tags, but everybody is the same species they are in the show, whatever the hell that may be.


	3. don’t mind the others, fall for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It is your fault because apparently your biceps are like catnip to horny lesbians. Do you read your Twitter mentions, Adora? I read some of the replies from your vague tweets about the shoot. They were perverted even by my standards,” Catra tells her. She sounds far too amused at the shitshow that is Adora’s daily life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Say My Name by ANS. It’s a bi anthem and you can't convince me otherwise.  
> I upped the fic rating in response to some later chapters. Might do it again if including smut ends up feeling right.

The diner is small, but well-lit. It smells like grease in the best kind of way, the heavy scents of bacon, syrup, eggs, and other breakfast foods hanging in the air. It is the kind of place that looks like it has belonged to the same family for generations and they have kept it in the same immaculate condition their grandfather did. Knowing LA, it has probably only been here a few months and is owned by a Silicon Valley mogul looking to expand their investment portfolio.

“I learned about this place from my lead for _Gunmetal_. He never had any problems with his dates here making their way to the public,” Catra tells Adora when she slides into the booth across from her. “Plus, their breakfast waffle sandwiches are to die for.”

It is the first time they have seen each other face-to-face since the music video shoot a week ago. They have been texting around Catra's busy shoot schedule, but Adora has been desperate to actually see Catra again. It took her a few days to work up the courage to ask if she could come out to see her, but Catra had immediately returned that she had Saturday off from filming her current film.

Catra has put the subtle, rumpled effort she prefers to wear when she is not in the public eye into her appearance today. She wears ripped jeans and a crop top, an artfully arranged flannel hanging off one shoulder and tied in an improbable knot. Her hair is untamed in that purposefully messy way that is so signature to her it makes Adora smile just to see it. Adora, for her part, has her hair down to try and remain more anonymous than her signature ponytail allows for and is dressed in a dark jacket despite LA winter being an utter joke. She needed the hood to help her get around unnoticed.

They order their food, bickering over the menu like they used to when they were teenagers, spending the last few cents they had from their summer jobs on one of their rare, secret dates. It feels natural to fall into their old routine again, Adora ordering Catra’s favourite tea for her when the waiter comes by without thinking. She pretends she does not notice the way it makes Catra gaze openly at her.

“So, the music video teaser went up today,” Adora says, conversationally, as she fidgets with her napkin ring.

“They used the kiss, didn’t they?” Catra says, raising an eyebrow at her. Adora flushes and nods. “I’m going to bury my twitter mentions now, thanks. I bet half your fans want to kill me and the other half want to _be_ me,” Catra tells her.

“Hey, you kissed me, too. I don’t see how this is my fault,” Adora defends, gesturing a bit wildly. Catra sends a skittering glance out to the rest of the diner and Adora realizes her volume has risen. She winces, slumping down in her seat a bit.

“It is your fault because apparently your biceps are like catnip to horny lesbians. Do you read your Twitter mentions, Adora? I read some of the replies from your vague tweets about the shoot. They were _perverted_ even by my standards,” Catra tells her. She sounds far too amused at the shitshow that is Adora’s daily life. Adora is aware of what her mentions are like, that is why she _avoids_ them. She wants to defend herself, because she really has done _nothing_ to attract this kind of attention aside from being out, but their waiter returns with their food and the conversation pulls to a halt.

Catra was right, the waffle sandwich is incredible. They get a few minutes to just enjoy the grease and each other’s company, idly chatting back and forth, before Catra asks her about it.

“So how are things with the group?” she asks, casually, raising an eyebrow as she takes a bite.

“In general, or after Sunday?” Adora returns. Catra smiles, Adora’s defensive snark apparently bringing her joy, but then she looks like she is actually considering it.

“Both, I guess? Clearly, they still didn’t know a lot about me, but what they think about you stepping back is also important,” Catra says. The second half she says almost cautiously, like she is expecting Adora to correct her. Like she thinks now Adora has Catra talking to her she is going to go back on her word.

“They have been blowing up the group chat constantly about why I never told them my ex was _you_ , but in general they get why I keep stuff private. They still know about the same stuff they did when we were dating, plus what came out while we were recording _Heartstrings_. We grew up together, we had it rough, and we broke up over the stress of the debut,” Adora tells her, rubbing the back of her neck. “It didn’t feel right to tell them more and out you, too. Not when we have worked so hard to put all that behind us,” Adora tells her, shrugging. Catra absorbs the information silently, eyes focused on the table and nodding along.

“Frght-Z knows about the same stuff, they just don’t know it is _you_ and not some random singer. Except for Lonnie and Scorpia, of course, but they have not told anybody. Scorpia didn’t even tell Perfuma, you know?” Catra replies. Catra might not have any professional ties to Frght-Z, but she is pretty close friends with all their members. She spends most of her time with them when she is not filming a movie.

Adora blinks, a bit surprised, because Scorpia is so notoriously bad at keeping secrets she leaked their last single on accident, but it eases her a bit to know Catra had someone she could talk to about it all. Adora had friends, best friends even, but no one who knew much of anything about her before they had turned eighteen and hopped a Greyhound to LA. Scorpia and Lonnie had only been a few months behind them.

“Scorpia is the reason Bow hired me, apparently. He was complaining to Perfuma about finding an actress that fit your specifications on short notice and Perfuma mentioned that her girlfriend had a friend who might fit the requirements,” Catra adds on, raising an eyebrow at her. Adora does her best to sink through the floor. Catra’s smile is _taunting_. “What are your _specifications_ , Adora?” she asks, far too amused by Adora’s discomfort. Adora glares at her, but she sighs and sits up. Carefully, she fixes her gaze on her half-eaten sandwich before replying.

“Remember when you tried to give me acting advice for my first shoot and you told me that realistic acting comes from your past and stuff? So when you need to cry you think about something that hurt you?” Adora asks, chancing a peek at Catra. She narrows her eyes at her but nods. Adora fixes her gaze on her brunch again. “Most of our music videos are choreo and performance, so it doesn’t usually matter, but- whenever we need to shoot a love song, I take out my contacts and have them hire an actress who kind of looks like you. It makes it easier to try to pull up that emotion if I can pretend it is you there. I just told them I have a type,” she admits, cringing a little.

Catra looks flustered, her ears and tail twitching as her cheeks colour. Adora hunches down in her seat a little again, but at least Catra does not look _mad_. She did not want Catra to think it was to replace her, or that any of those girls could even hold a candle to her. Luckily, Catra seems torn between amused and flattered.

“So they accidentally hired me while looking for an actress that fit the description you gave them of me?” she asks, lip curling, apparently having decided on mocking Adora for this mercilessly. Adora throws her hands up in the air, but she is smiling with relief.

“I’m a bad actress!” she defends, whining just a little. Catra smirks, reaching across the table to pat Adora’s cheek. It would be condescending if the spark of contact did not send a jolt of excitement running through her. Okay, it is still condescending, but Adora finds herself leaning into the touch just a little even as she glares at her.

“It’s okay, princess. You have plenty of other talents I enjoy,” Catra practically coos. Adora bats her hand away, glaring at her, but a smile is still twitching at the corner of her mouth.

“ _Anyway_ ,” she redirects, thoroughly done with discussing this particular omission, “the group has been really supportive about it. Everyone saw how bad I crashed and burned leading up to _Heartstrings_. I was talking with Angella about how I might not need to really take part in the next press tour. We have a big enough fanbase now they are promoting this new single themselves, so she thinks I can get away with doing social posts and just a few interviews with the rest of the group,” Adora tells her shrugging. Catra looks almost stricken, swallowing thickly. Press tours are such a touchy subject for Adora – for _them_. Cutting them down would change things completely.

“That is- really good, Adora,” she manages. Adora looks up at her with a small smile, maybe a touch too hopeful, but honest. Catra’s gaze darts away before she meets her eyes again. “You are really doing this, huh?” she asks, apparently at a loss for words. Adora shrugs.

“I put my career ahead of us, before. You are my priority this time. I still can’t say I completely regret it – having built our fanbase up is what is giving me the freedom to step back like this – but I want to do things right this time,” Adora admits. She sees Catra’s ears drop a little, clearly trying to hold back disappointment. On a chance, Adora reaches across the table and takes her hand. “Catra, this was never about fame, or success, or anything like that. I just loved music and wanted us to be able to support ourselves. When I lost you – I lost myself, in a lot of ways. I learned to stand on my own, but I don’t _want_ to. I want you in my life again,” she confesses in a low whisper, cognizant of the fact they are technically in public, even if they are largely alone in the sparsely populated diner.

She watches Catra’s eyes cloud and then miraculously clear. She watches the way her tail quivers for a moment, fingers trembling, before her body stills and relaxes. Catra takes her emotions and shoves them back down, hiding them behind a thin smile.

“Okay. You were always my top priority, Adora. You still will be. I get busy whenever I am shooting a movie, but I have plenty of downtime between shoots to make up for it. I usually get a day or two off of shooting a week. We can make it work,” Catra promises her. Adora feels the grip of fear in her heart loosen. She squeezes Catra’s hand beneath hers and slowly releases it, leaning back in her seat.

For a few moments, they eat in silence, both of them processing. Adora knows that despite her skills, it is difficult for Catra to hide when she is upset, so she needs the time to slowly deconstruct the emotion before they can really return to normal conversation, especially about anything light-hearted. And they really should turn to something light-hearted. They are still in public, after all. It is a miracle they have not been spotted yet.

Almost on cue with the thought, Catra hunches down in her seat.

“The manager is texting an awful lot,” she mutters into the remainder of her food, eyes glancing over Adora’s shoulder to look into the kitchens. Adora stoically does not turn around. She knows what Catra is implying – she could tell even without the anxious flick of her tail against the booth seating next to her. Adora has gone through the trial by fire of a meteoric rise to fame – she is used to this kind of thing by now. Catra was always the more cautious of the two, the one with more reason to fear Shadow catching them as kids. She does not blame her paranoia.

“If we are going to start seeing each other again, we would get spotted together eventually,” Adora points out, trying to keep her voice casual, but she is _nervous_. They had always feared their relationship being public before, and she may love the opportunities Rebellion’s fans have given them, but the attention they get can be absolutely overwhelming. Catra may be a known face, but the fandom for a young film actress is nothing like the rabid idol fans that have sprung up around Rebellion.

“I know. It was always inevitable, but I would like us to get to the point where we know who we are without the public pressure, first,” Catra sighs, picking at her plate a little dejectedly. The kiss flashes before Adora’s eyes and she takes a chance, reaching across the table and abandoning her fork to hold Catra’s free hand again. Catra smiles a little looking down at their hands. “Okay, maybe we know,” she agrees, and just like that, it goes from a lunch to a date.

\--

_Reply thread for Twitter user #STREAMFOUND @tiffintherink • Saturday, 18 hours ago_

OMG Adora Grayskull is at my brother’s diner rn????!! he says it looks like she is on a date

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

guys the lesbian may finally be over her heartbreak im sweating. he says they are holding hands im so happy for her!!! we’re really getting more love songs soon!!!!

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

ugh stop replying just to accuse me of making it up. YES im in class right now but my brother is texting me cuz he knows i love her. i’ll post screenshots when i can edit them later. i dont want you guys tracking down where my brother works

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

also like leave their date alone if u were tru fans you would want her to be happy!! the new single is a love song and i BET its about this girl! i dont wanna be the one to ruin it for them

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

HOLD ON my brother says he thinks he recognizes the date stand by lesbians we’re googling

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

ASUFHUSLRGJKSRGKSRGJLSDG NO WAY

_Saturday, 18 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

OK NOT SAYING WHO SHE IS BUT THIS IS SOME STORYBOOK SHIT. LIKE NOW I KNOW HOW THEY MET AND EVERYTHING AND NOW THEYRE ON A DATE TOGETHER THIS IS TOO MUCH

_Saturday, 17 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

i cant say who she is stop asking!!! she isnt out from what i can tell. im nosy not a fucking monster. shes a celeb too thats all i can say

_Saturday, 15 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

sorry to bail i had to start actually paying attention. big bro says they tipped well and then he wouldnt tell me more lmao. i think they bribed him but you know what thats fair chase those tips

_Saturday, 13 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

ok here are the screenshots. i blocked out like all the identifying info for the date & yall just have to deal with it. im not fucking outing somebody and im not a gossip account im just a stan ok

\--

Adora tries not to glare at her laptop as she scrolls through the tweets and articles Angella had their social team send over to her. She had texted Adora immediately, but Adora had her phone off so she could enjoy her day trip into LA. Catra took her to the backlot of her last film, pointing out the trailer she had rescued her stray cat out from under, and then took her on a tour of the stage she was currently filming in. It was nice, just getting to spend time holding hands and not worrying about the world outside of the studio gates. Now, a day later and back in her own apartment, she has to finally face the music.

Sighing, she picks up her phone and selects Catra’s contact.

“I’m on set, so don’t say anything you don’t want the world to know, babe. I have time, though,” Catra greets her. She sounds amused. Adora cringes a little.

“So you saw, then,” she clarifies. She can practically hear Catra rolling her eyes.

“Like I said, getting spotted was inevitable with your rabid fanbase. We are just lucky the waiter kept his mouth shut about us taking the same car away. Somehow I don’t think the internet would believe that the rest of the day was an innocent tour,” Catra reasons.

“I haven’t even gotten to kiss you, they can’t start on us having _sex_ ,” Adora complains, knowing she is whining, but she really is not used to this. The entire time she has been an idol there were rumours about her dating pretty much any girl she looked at, but she has never had them be _true_ before.

“Princess, last Sunday?” Catra reminds her. Adora feels herself flush. Catra used to call her that when they were dating, but it sends a thrill of excitement through her to hear it again.

“There were cameras. It doesn’t count. Take me home to meet Melog like you promised and we can fix that,” Adora tells her, maybe a bit too bold, but Catra’s teasing has always had an effect on her.

Catra laughs on the other end of the line as Adora hears the stage door warning bell begin to ring out. She waits for things to quiet down before responding. “Buy me dinner next time and I’ll consider it. Actually, better yet, aren’t you going to be in New York this weekend?” Catra responds. Adora runs through her mental schedule for the single release.

“Yeah, doing three interviews. You want to visit an old haunt? Maybe dinner in Brooklyn? I can see who Angella can bribe so we don’t have a repeat of yesterday,” Adora tells her. Catra hums in satisfaction.

“I have Saturday and Sunday off. I can fly out to meet you after the first show. Find us somewhere new – the city is enough for me without old memories. And get a private hotel, yeah? I want to have time with you without having to worry about being overheard or anything,” Catra tells her.

“I can do that! I will do that. Right now, in fact,” Adora promises her. She hears Catra laughing lightly on the other end of the line.

“Alright, princess, I trust you will take care of us. I have to return to set now. I’ll call you back when I get home tonight,” Catra returns.

\--

**COULD _IMITATION_ STAR CATRA CYRA BE GAY?**

Leaks from the _You Will Be Told_ set hint the actress is in a secret relationship with another female celebrity.

_Article by BubblePOP Contributor Mari Clawdeen_

Catra Cyra is a rising star. After some minor roles, she entered the film scene explosively with a supporting role in the summer blockbuster _Gunmetal_ that propelled her to the supporting role in the three-time Oscar-nominated film _Imitation_. One of those Oscars could have Catra’s name on it for Best Supporting Actress come award season. The young starlet is already shooting her next film as the main actress, but there is a secret _You Will Be Told_ from the new film’s set.

According to multiple sources working on the production lot, Catra brought a mystery woman to visit the set this weekend during a break in filming. Yesterday, Catra took a phone call while on set that had some interesting revelations about who the woman could be.

“She is dating another star, for sure. The other voice was definitely feminine. Ms. Cyra called her ‘princess’ and ‘babe’,” our anonymous source on the set says.

Over the course of the phone call, Catra let slip that her new beau’s fans had caught them out on a date together, requiring a bribe to keep the fact that they went home together out of the news. She also planned a follow-up date, one requiring a private hotel afterwards. Whoever she is seeing is certainly getting some of her famous tail!

Catra Cyra is not publicly out, though she is known to associate with the idol group Frght-Z, an all-lesbian fronted group. There have been rumours in the past of her dating the leader Scorpia, who is currently in a public relationship with fellow idol Perfuma, a member of the group Rebellion and an out trans woman. With her long-time focus off the market, it seems Catra has found a new object for her affections. Catra has never played a film role requiring more than brief romantic tension between her and her male leads, and perhaps now we know why!

Catra has recently starred as the lesbian love interest in Rebellion’s latest music video for their new single _Found_. The music video releases this Friday, but a trailer released over the weekend shows her kissing Rebellion’s leader Adora Grayskull. Adora Grayskull has been an out lesbian ever since Rebellion’s first album release, and thus far has only acted alongside other LGBT actresses in her music videos. Even without Catra’s telling conversation, this latest role should be turning some women’s heads in her direction.

\--

_Catra @catracyra • Monday, 1 hour ago_

If you thought I was straight then that’s on you

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Monday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @lezspacedragon_

wait 4 real marry me then

_Monday, 58 minutes ago • Reply by @sapgraduate_

Fucking tell them sister!!

_Monday, 55 minutes ago • Reply by @nina1997ram_

What’s this in reference to can somebody link me?

_Monday, 54 minutes ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know twitter timestamps don't look anything like this but I didn’t want to nail myself down to some dates okay. I’ve never included social posts in a fic before so I hope I did it okay because there’s gonna be more of that going forward.  
> Hey, want to leave _*clearly labeled*_ suggestions for thirst tweets to Adora in the comments to be included in a future update? If your username isn’t fourth-wall-breaking or too nsfw I can use it as the @ if u like (let me know in the comment!). I’m also just taking username & @ suggestions for Rebellion, Frght-Z, and Catra Cyra fans.


	4. I have nobody but you, so save me now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Glim ✨_  
>  CATRA DIDN’T STAY OVER SHE STAYED AT CATRA’S
> 
>  _Mermista_  
>  ADORA WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US YOU WERE A HOE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from PIRI by Dreamcatcher. I know I already used a Dreamcatcher lyric but it’s such a Catra song I had to find somewhere for it.  
> So this AU was pretty spontaneous and I didn’t have much planned/outlined for it past chapter 5 but I think I finally have a v rough outline and it will probably be 10 chapters. It might only be 9 but I’ll stick with the ten for now. I’ve already added two to my initial "plan" so I can’t guarantee anything lol I’m just having fun here.

“Good job getting caught, dumbass,” is Mermista’s greeting when Adora walks into the dance studio on Monday. Adora groans, tossing her gym bag against the wall and shooting her an annoyed look.

“We’re not used to this, okay? Neither of us had a fanbase when we broke up. Not one that followed us around, anyway,” Adora defends, walking to join the rest of the group in their warmup. She knows Mermista is only teasing – she knows she is just happy it is not _her_ for once. “At least _we_ didn’t set anything on fire,” Adora points out, elbowing Mermista with a smirk. The way Mermista flushes and quickly turns away with a muttered “whatever” only fuels her smugness.

“How are you this bad at sneaking around but you managed to hide that Catra was Heartstrings for two years?” Frosta asks, gaze just a shade below accusing. Adora feels a pang in her stomach. If Frosta is feeling betrayed when she was not even part of the group then, Adora can only imagine how the rest of her friends are feeling. She abandons her stretch, flopping back against the studio floor with a sigh.

“We decided when I got scouted we would keep our relationship private, okay? I wasn’t going to break that trust just because she had left. She did it for my own good, anyway. Even if it took awhile,” Adora tells them, sending a glare to each member of the group in turn. Most of them look unimpressed, but no one challenges her decision.

“Does Frght-Z know?” Perfuma asks, quietly. She looks apologetic to be continuing the questioning, but Adora gets it. She wants to know if she can talk with her girlfriend about it. The fact she has not so far is really a testament to what a good friend Perfuma is. Adora feels a spark of warmth in her chest, smiling for the first time since she got off the phone with Catra that morning. She returns to her warmup exercises.

“Most of them, no. I think Catra is going to tell them now we are back together, but they didn’t know before you. Except Scorpia and Lonnie, obviously, but we grew up together,” Adora explains. Most of the group nods, seeming to accept that and willing to drop the subject Adora clearly does not want to discuss. Perfuma looks mildly delighted, unspoken permission granted to stop keeping a secret from her girlfriend. Glimmer, however, still has a sour twist to her mouth. Adora sighs as she switches positions. “It’s not like I told them stuff I kept from you. We went on a double date with them in high school once, okay? They have known since before we even thought about moving to LA. They used to help us sneak around the- homophobes and stuff,” Adora explains, biting her lip at her near-admission. Luckily, the group seems to read it as _bad memories_ – which isn’t wrong either – and drops it. Glimmer shoots her an apologetic look.

“I know it has to be hard to be publicly out. I don’t really have a place to judge, I’m sorry,” Glimmer apologizes with a shrug, turning away. Adora just nods, absorbing the apology if it means this line of questioning is over. Glimmer is not in the closet, but there is a big difference between not hiding her attractions and publicly saying she is bi. There is a pause before Glimmer looks back at her with a smirk. “I can’t believe you listened to me rant about how hot she was in _Imitation_ and didn’t say anything. You let me _thirst tweet_ about your _ex_ , Adora,” Glimmer complains, half-joking and half-embarrassed. Adora can’t help but laugh.

“What can I say? You were right,” Adora shrugs. “Now if you’re done grilling me, let’s get started on the choreo, yeah? There is a lot less leeway for a TV performance than a music video. We need to have this on lock by Saturday,” Adora says, directing the group into their starting positions.

\--

_Catra shared a location “HOME” with you._

I know it’s late but can you please just come over and exist near me

I’m at the studio but I was about to leave

I can get a helicopter so I can skip the evening traffic

Jfc you take a helicopter to go miles?

Actually nvm I just mapped it and your studio is three hours away rn

How do you even work that far out?

I live twenty minutes from the studio. Normally it’s not an issue

I’m not even mad about it the article was just fucking disgusting

And now my agent is yelling at me and people are being weird on set

Ugh I gotta go I’m up. I’ll be home by the time you get there anyway

\--

Catra snatches a hand out and grabs her by the front of her shirt, yanking her inside the apartment, the moment she opens her door. She eyes Adora almost suspiciously.

“Subtle,” she comments dryly, eyeing Adora’s appearance. Adora feels herself flush. She is still in her leggings and cropped shirt from practice, ponytail up because if she tried to take it out it would be held in place with the dried sweat. She had not wanted to delay by going back to her apartment when the helicopter was ready to leave from the studio roof.

“It’s dark out?” she defends, cautiously. The night is the only real protection she had against getting recognized – in her current outfit her infamous backpiece is on full display, sword recognizable even with the handle hidden beneath her top. Still, the whole reason she is here is because of them getting caught before. She would have been more careful if she hadn't been so worried about making sure Catra was okay.

Catra sighs, but she just turns around and waves Adora deeper inside the apartment. Adora follows, eyeing how bare the tiny space is as Catra takes her past the cramped living room and kitchenette into the bedroom. The only furniture inside is a bed and a cat tower with a cat lounging on it. Catra notices the way Adora’s eyes flit around the space, so small and yet so bare. She rolls her eyes, walking over to the cat tower and reaching out for Melog, who jumps into her arms happily.

“Having stuff is inconvenient when I only live in a place for two or three months at a time. I’d rather not have much and live in a private apartment than deal with living out of a hotel with the rest of the crew,” Catra explains, walking back to her with Melog cradled against her chest. She looks up to Adora with wide eyes, almost cautious as she raises him up a little.

“I wasn’t judging, just worried. Hey, little guy,” Adora greets, reaching out a hand for Melog to sniff. Catra said he is very sweet for a stray cat, but Adora has been scratched enough by _tamed_ cats to know to be cautious.

Though, Catra could never really be considered tamed.

Melog sniffs her hand cautiously for a moment before nudging into her touch. Adora pets his head, scratching behind his ears and earning an instant purr. When she makes eye contact with Catra again her girlfriend practically has hearts in her eyes watching the exchange. She catches Adora looking and quickly looks away, cheeks flushing.

“I told you he would love you,” Catra tells her in a flustered mutter. Adora smirks at her and Catra flicks an ear in faux-annoyance, turning away. After a moment, she walks over to the bed and sits on the edge of it, settling Melog in her lap. She looks up to Adora questioningly and Adora follows her without hesitation. She sits beside Catra, sides brushing, and takes a risk on wrapping an arm around her waist.

Catra melts into her side, releasing a shaking breath Adora can tell she has been holding all day. It is all the encouragement Adora needs to toe off her shoes and guide Catra to lay back in her arms, holding her close. She ends up with Catra cuddled against her chest, Melog curled between them and still purring.

“You okay?” she asks softly. She knows the answer, she just wants to give Catra the opening to talk about it. Catra’s breathing is a little unsteady, but her eyes remain clear, even if they are anxious. Her ears and fingers twitch with anxiety, little ticks that show she has been suppressing her emotions for too long to keep holding them down.

“Getting better. I talked with my agent and stuff. They are mad I didn’t tell them I had a girlfriend, especially after I told them it’s _you_ , but I told them the opportunities they have gotten me doesn’t make me just trust them with all my secrets. Some people were being weird on set, too. Homophobes or trying _not_ to be homophobic, probably,” Catra elaborates, scooting just a little closer as she talks. “I just- needed to see you. To know we were still okay,” Catra explains, gaze fixed determinedly on Adora’s collar.

Adora gets it, gets the fear. The second she had read the articles about her she had called Catra, after all. She pauses, taking a risk and leaning forward to press a firm kiss against Catra’s forehead, hoping to anchor and assure her. She feels Catra relax in her arms, sending a wave of relief through her. The purr between them stops as Melog, apparently feeling too crushed now Adora is leaning forward, jumps out from Catra’s arms. The purr is quickly replaced by Catra’s own as she presses closer, molding their bodies together. Melog resettles somewhere near the foot of the bed if the direction of the vibrations are anything to go by, but Adora is too busy focusing in on Catra to care.

Their faces are barely an inch or two apart, Catra’s relaxed purr buzzing in both their chests, her eyes soft with emotion as she gazes at Adora. “I missed you,” Catra whispers, low and soft. They both know what she really means.

“I missed you, too,” Adora promises in return. It seems to be the final step Catra needs. She closes the airgap between them, kissing Adora softly. Adora meets her, gentle and cautious. She thinks Catra needs this, but-

Catra tries to deepen the kiss and Adora pulls back. She sees a flash of panic in Catra’s eyes before she manages to make herself look carefully blank.

“Hey, don’t do that. Not with me. I never want you to hide with me,” Adora tells her softly, reaching a hand up to gently stroke Catra’s cheek. Catra stares at her, still carefully blank, before she draws in a shuddering breath and her eyes uncloud from their blank stare. She looks blatantly _scared_.

“Why’d you stop?” she asks, soft and quiet. Like she expects Adora to say she did not _want_ to.

“You’re upset, we only just reconnected... I don’t want you to do something you aren’t ready for just to get reassurance. I’m here. I’m with you. I’m not leaving,” Adora promises her, still gently stroking her cheek. Catra’s eyes flutter closed, her breathing unsteady. A small, fond smile is spreading on her face. It makes Adora’s chest clench to see happiness on her girlfriend again.

“Okay, princess. You can be a hero if you want to, but I’m _always_ ready for kisses. I would have kissed you on Saturday if it would not have given us away,” Catra returns. Her voice sounds shaky with relief as she wraps her arms around Adora’s back, pulling her closer. She looks up at her questioningly, the cloud of fear and anxiety retreated now. “Kiss me?” she asks.

Adora does not need to be asked twice.

\--

**REBELREBEL GROUP CHAT**

_6 members >>_

_Frost baby_

Adora where tf are u I’ve never gotten in before you

I’m driving there rn. I’m not late.

_Sent using voice-to-text_

_Bow_ _❤️_

Don’t text and drive!!! You have thirty minutes still just wait!

_Mermista_

She isn’t late by human standards but she is like an hour late by Adora standards

I’m using hands-free and stuck in traffic it’s fine.

_Sent using voice-to-text_

I told you guys I’m trying to take care of myself. That means sleeping in the mornings.

_Sent using voice-to-text_

_Glim_ _✨_

I bet Catra stayed over

_Mermista_

Adora why didn’t you tell us you were a hoe

Catra did not stay over

_Sent using voice-to-text_

_Perfuma_

Everybody stop messaging she will just keep replying! We don’t want an accident!

I haven’t moved more than a few inches in six minutes

_Sent using voice-to-text_

_Frost baby_

Wait where are you with such bad traffic rn??

_Glim_ _✨_

CATRA DIDN’T STAY OVER SHE STAYED AT CATRA’S

_Mermista_

ADORA WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US YOU WERE A HOE

_Bow_ _❤️_

Car accident guys?

_Perfuma_

Well she seems to have stopped replying

_Mermista_

OH NOW YOU’RE SHY

\--

Waking up next to Catra, even still in her dirty gym clothes and with blurry vision as she searches for her glasses, is the only assurance Adora needs that it does not matter what the public knows or when – not when she gets to have this. She and Catra manage to get in a few kisses before she has to run off to her set, Adora promising to feed Melog for her so they can have a little more time together.

Catra texts Adora the instructions to feed Melog as she makes her way out to her car and wrestles to get the engine to turn over. Adora knows this because of the string of curses she sends after the instructions, with the only non-expletive among them the word “HORDAK.” Adora would have assumed Catra had replaced their shitty old car by now, but she doubts Catra bought a new car that is also shitty and carried the name over.

Actually, no, that tracks. Adora can totally picture Catra buying a new car, realizing it is shitty, and then cursing it out as it breaks down and calling it Hordak insultingly. It is so easy to conjure such an image Adora cannot help but smile to herself. As Adora slowly pets Melog while he purrs into his food, she feels herself bursting with words, but none coherent enough to form into lyrics. She settles on a tweet.

\--

_Adora Grayskull @adoragrayskull • Tuesday, 2 hours ago_

I tried to write a song but it boiled down to love is pretty great. I’m really gay you guys

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Tuesday, 20 minutes ago • Reply by @mermistary_

Just don’t let it make you late

_Tuesday, 18 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@mermistary Shhh let the lesbian have this

_Tuesday, 17 minutes ago • Reply by @adorasleftbicep_

ASDDFSHJF you guys are too much

_Tuesday, 11 minutes ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

idk i think movies r pretty good too

_Tuesday, 8 minutes ago • Reply by @glimadorastan_

@tiffintherink Haha forever alone club am I right

\--

“So people are tweeting me asking if you’re a good kisser,” Catra says in lieu of a greeting when she picks up the phone. Adora had been in the middle of a workout when Catra texted her that she had a private room for a bit between shots. Adora quickly abandoned her routine in favour of talking to Catra. They text in a steady stream, but Catra’s shoot is packed with long hours, and if they want to avoid a repeat of Sunday they cannot call during the day.

Adora groans. The music video has been up for only two hours, but Rebellion’s fans are nothing if not unreasonably fast and horny. She blames it on the crowd attracted by their choreo, but she knows it is probably just part of being public.

“I know that tone of voice. You replied, didn’t you?” Adora responds, glaring indistinctly at the ceiling and wondering how much of an apology she owes Angella. Catra trills happily down the line.

“I told them someone taught you some moves,” she responds, far too smug. Adora feels herself flush, fidgeting where she lays on the mat despite Catra being unable to actually see her.

“Uh,” she manages, intelligently, and Catra’s laugh rings down the line. Adora finds herself staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, cheeks flushed as she drinks in the sound.

“They are shipping us already, by the way. With conspiracy theories that we are actually dating now because of that one fan's tweets. Scorpia is baiting them. She tweeted about me ‘joining the family’ or whatever,” Catra tells her. She sounds amused. Adora closes her eyes, just letting Catra’s voice wash over her, subject matter be damned. They have always been afraid of being public about being together, but the mention of Scorpia’s tweets opens a door in her mind she thought she had long closed.

“I wish we didn’t have to sneak around,” Adora sighs. In the distance she hears the stage door warning bell ringing, but it is far and muffled.

“Are you trying to say something, princess?” Catra questions. She still sounds a little amused, but there is a cautious edge to her voice. Adora sighs.

“No, not really. Ideally, we could just go on dates and talk and it would be between the two of us. But that is not how it works anymore. I kind of wish I could be open like that – just tweet about you and not have it be weird, but it _is_ knowing how many people are watching,” Adora explains, waving her hand around as she talks. Catra hums thoughtfully.

“I get that. I want to keep this between us as long as we can, but once people know – we spent long enough having to hide, you know? I want to be able to say you are mine and be proud of it. Besides, the fan edits are cute,” Catra tells her, tone turning teasing. Adora feels her chest warm as she indulges the idea before it is quickly replaced with a flash of panic.

“ _Please_ don’t look at those. They get weird,” Adora scrambles to tell her.

“They _get_ weird? Adora, people are already doing edits of your back tattoo with claw marks in it and talking about how wild our sex must be. I found an entire Instagram dedicated to your abs. There’s another one about your thighs. There is already a bot account that tweets out ‘ _catdora’_ updates. I think it’s run by that Tiffany girl who outed us initially. It tweets the same, anyway,” Catra informs her, rattling off the list of things she has seen. Despite the way the list makes her wince, it only scratches the surface of the fan content Adora knows exists.

“Delete your twitter,” Adora decides. _Before it's too late_. Catra has the nerve to laugh at her.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Maybe we _should_ come out. If this is what they do for someone who you interacted with _once_ I can hardly imagine what they would do over the girl you have dated since high school,” Catra tells her, voice rolling in her laughter.

“As much as I want to be able to kiss you when we go out, I want _that_ to not exist more. I don’t - like them thinking about you like that. Thinking about us. It isn’t their business,” Adora mutters, eyes open and glaring up at her ceiling again. Catra is silent for a long moment.

“Adora, are you jealous?” Catra asks. Her voice is artfully neutral. Adora winces.

“It isn’t their business. It’s disrespectful,” she responds, voice small from how weak she knows her argument is. Catra’s purr rolls down the line, distorted and tinny.

“Don’t worry, princess. I’m all yours tomorrow. They can imagine all they like, they don’t get to _touch_ ,” she tells her. Adora’s entire body heats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I typed this whole chapter up in Word, put it in AO3 to edit it, and at the last second hit ctrl+r and refreshed the AO3 page cuz I’m used to doing that in Word to shift it to right-aligned text. I think I’ve fixed all the editing and formatting but jfc that sucked.  
> Thank to @Spirites and @Sash412 for leaving username suggestions in the comments! I’ll be using some of them (or something similar) in the fic.  
> They named Hordak after the license plate he had when they bought him used. The name stuck even after they updated the plate. Adora names all her cars, and sometimes her friends' cars too.


	5. you plus me sadly can be dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora has all notifications from people she does not follow turned off. Her phone is still blowing up with notifications as Rebellion and Frght-Z members start replying to the tweet. And texting her. Oh, look, a call from Bow.   
> Adora sends Angella one last warning that she is turning off her phone and then powers it down to glare at Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Kill This Love by Blackpink. REAL early days catradora song that one.  
> it's the thirst update, finally. They're not wearing seatbelts because that's what rich people do in the back of their fancy rides according to movies.

They barely make it to the restaurant before Adora tells the car to turn around. She can see the crowd already forming outside – she does not need them getting close enough for a camera flash to pierce its way through the tinted windows.

“They have _signs_ , Adora. Three of them are phone numbers,” Catra tells her, way too gleefully, leaning up to the window to watch the procession of obsessive behaviour that is her life now. Catra is used to weirdness on the internet, but her fandom rarely enters her real life. Adora, on the other hand, has grown to love and dread concerts with equal measure. She has learned to never read the signs.

“Angella said she would call ahead to get us some privacy. I guess it didn’t work,” Adora grumbles, slouching in her seat. Catra laughs, reaching out blindly to pat her knee in comfort. She does not turn away from the window.

“Hey, this one has a _drawing_ -“ Catra starts, utter glee in her voice.

“Just take us back to Manhattan,” Adora calls to the driver in the front seat, cutting Catra off before she can share something Adora will never unhear. Catra cackles beside her.

“Yes, ma’am,” their driver, an elderly woman wearing a hijab and a kind smile replies. She looks almost sorry for them when Adora catches her eye in the rearview mirror.

“This is your life now too, I hope you know that,” Adora tells Catra. They have turned the corner past the main fan force now, and Catra turns back to her with no more signs left to read.

“Let me tweet something. From your account,” she replies, eyes sparking with mischief. Adora feels the blood drain from her face.

“Do you want Angella to _kill me_?” she squeaks. The cunning spark has not left Catra’s eyes as she crawls across the backseat, boxing Adora into the corner of the bench. Adora feels her body temperature raising several degrees as Catra settles in her lap, still grinning down at her with all _fangs_ , hands sweeping along her body. If blood was actually flowing to Adora’s brain right now she would point out they are in a moving vehicle, but-

Catra pulls away, all smug satisfaction as she settles back into her own seat. Adora is left dazed and confused, blinking blindly at the space where she had been. Then she turns to her right and sees Catra holding a decidedly _uncracked_ phone in her hand. Her thumb is hovering over the unlock button, but despite the fact she just stole Adora’s phone out of her suit jacket, she still looks at her questioningly, awaiting permission.

Adora’s brain still has not returned to full operation, so she just sighs and waves her off. “Let me read it first,” she concedes, trying to unlock some secret telekinetic powers that will give her the ability to will her blush down and return her body to normal blood flow.

“I would tweet it from mine, but, you know, they don’t know it is _me_ ,” Catra tells her, typing away furiously on Adora’s phone. “Also, put a better password on this thing. That was my second guess,” she adds as she turns the screen back to face Adora. Adora would point out there is not a single person on the planet other than her and Catra who could possibly understand her password, but she is too busy reading the drafted tweet before Catra decides to just send it anyway.

_Adora Grayskull @adoragrayskull • Draft_

If you tried to crash my date tonight, send me a pic of your signs. My girlfriend wants to make fun of me.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, so we’re skipping Angella and just letting Twitter kill me itself? My replies will never recover from this, Catra. You are _baiting_ them,” Adora tells her, looking up to make eye contact and finding Catra _grinning_ at her words. She does not break eye contact as she slowly and deliberately moves her thumb and presses _Send_. Adora narrows her eyes at her and snatches the phone from her hand. Catra cackles while Adora sends a desperate apology text to Angella.

“You could have stopped me,” Catra points out. Adora sends a glare at her as Angella texts back to ask what she is apologizing for. Yes, Catra technically gave her plenty of opportunities to stop her, but they both know how hard it is for Adora to resist her.

Adora has all notifications from people she does not follow turned off. Her phone is still blowing up with notifications as Rebellion and Frght-Z members start replying to the tweet. And texting her. Oh, look, a call from Bow.

Adora sends Angella one last warning that she is turning off her phone and then powers it down to glare at Catra. “Wanna lay on your balcony and read the thirst tweets?” Catra challenges her, eyebrow raised.

“I would rather be fulfilling some of them, but sure,” she shoots back. Despite the way it makes her own face heat, the blush spilling down Catra’s face in return is worth it.

\--

They manage to make it into their hotel without being intercepted. Their driver drops them off in the parking garage, right next to an elevator that will take them straight up to their floor. Rebellion’s head security officer Juliet meets them there and ushers them inside. The parking garage is mercifully empty. Somehow the hotel where the entirety of Rebellion is staying for their NYC promotional tour is still a secret while the restaurant where Adora just wanted to get _one_ nice, normal evening is public knowledge.

Catra wraps herself around Adora’s arm once they are in the elevator, Juliet’s presence thoroughly ignored, and purrs lightly when she notices how awkward it makes Adora. They have not gotten to be very affectionate since they actually settled things. Catra had touched her constantly during the music video shoot, but it had felt like a tenuous spell that was not _real_ , not really them, and would snap the moment they broke contact. Now, having Catra pressing against her in what is ostensibly a public space makes her more flustered than she anticipated.

Catra lets her go when they reach their floor, but she fixes Adora with a look that is only a half-step below eye-fucking when she pulls away. Juliet clears her throat, and Catra turns to flash her a bright, innocent smile before she steps out of the elevator, Adora trailing behind her. It is not as bad as what the driver had to deal with, at least.

Adora leads Catra to her room, fumbling with the keycard for a moment before the door flings open all on its own. Adora startles back as Glimmer comes bursting out of her room for some reason, only a hair below _simmering_.

“Adora, you _baited_ them?” she asks. Adora can’t tell if it is anger or excitement in her voice. She looks desperately behind her to Catra, who for once looks ruffled by this unexpected change. Her eyes are not on Glimmer, though. She is looking deeper into Adora’s room. Adora follows her gaze to find the entirety of Rebellion gathered in her room.

“Meet the parents time, I guess,” Catra mutters from behind her. If Adora did not know her so well, she would miss the waver in her voice.

\--

They end up sitting leaned up against the headboard of Adora’s bed, Catra in her arms and tensed like she is prepared for battle. Her appearance is relaxed, but Adora can feel the tension in her body where they are in contact. Rebellion, plus Sea Hawk for some reason, are gathered in a loose circle around them, sitting on chairs, the vanity, the floor, and even Adora’s suitcase. At least Angella is not in NYC with them. Depending on Glimmer’s intent, she would either definitely be here or be decidedly avoiding the entire floor.

“So the restaurant went well,” Adora tries. Glimmer levels her with a look and Adora shuts up. Catra lets out a small trill of approval, which would draw all focus to her if it were not already there, but it definitely intensifies. Catra’s ears twitch like she wants to pin them back, but she remains still in Adora’s arms.

“That is the first time I have seen someone else use that look on Adora successfully,” Catra praises. It is as much as defense for the sound as anything else. Catra used to hate making any of her more unique sounds in front of others, largely because of the teasing she endured as the only magicat in the home – and the entire city, probably. She had to work past that barrier when she started being hired for her racial traits, but years of childhood conditioning are hard to break.

“My mom can do it, too. Our manager, Angella,” Glimmer clarifies. She looks appraisingly at Catra. It feels like the two girls are feeling each other out with their eyes, trying to understand their adversary. Adora does not know why everything surrounding Catra has to be a confrontation. Catra is defensive and mildly paranoid, but for some reason people think that means she wants to fight. She never has, Adora knows – that is _why_ she has to be defensive.

“I know. I only missed a year,” Catra replies, rolling her eyes. She slinks a little further back into Adora’s arms. Glimmer’s gaze snaps to Adora at that. Adora _thought_ they were over this, but apparently not.

“And yet we never met you until now,” Glimmer adds, eyeing Adora. She doesn’t actually look mad, she just needs to rub it in, apparently. Adora does not flinch – she makes no apologies for that. She had her reasons, and they were good ones.

“I feel like I’m being grilled by my mom for breaking curfew,” Adora complains, squeezing Catra a little tighter. She does not want to be having this conversation, and she is not even sure what this conversation _is_ yet. Catra laughs at Adora’s comparison - Glimmer _sputters_.

“I am not _motherly_ ,” Glimmer protests. Unfortunately for her, a murmur runs through the entire group that thoroughly disproves her sentiment. Glimmer turns to Bow, clutching at his arm desperately. “Bow, tell them I am not motherly,” she instructs. Bow casts around desperately, saying nothing and _sweating_. Glimmer is technically right – she is closer to an excitable puppy than the mom friend, but at the same time she often has to be the one to wrangle them just to avoid disappointing her mom. Add in how caring and understanding she can be, and _motherly_ doesn’t sound so wrong anymore.

“Look, I know Glimmer is having a crisis here, but why the hell is Sea Hawk here?” Catra asks, gesturing to where Sea Hawk is sitting on the floor so Mermista can put her feet up on his shoulders from her spot in the weird corner armchair that had been included in the room. Catra sounds suspicious, which is odd because – according to Sea Hawk, anyway, when Adora asked him very unsubtly at the time – she and Sea Hawk had gotten along on the two sets where they had crossed paths. Adora also can’t imagine Sea Hawk going that long without mentioning his obsession with Mermista, but maybe he is more professional when he is actually working.

Okay, definitely not, even Adora can acknowledge that.

“He’s my ride,” Mermista replies, not even glancing down at her living footrest. Sea Hawk nods proudly.

“He crashed his last three cars. He crashed one on the _way to set_. We had to delay the entire shoot because we could not get that location again for a week,” Catra points out. She is looking at Mermista like she has lost her mind, but she does not look suspicious anymore at least.

“Last four, actually!” Sea Hawk corrects far too happily. Catra gives him a look that clearly says _you’re being stupid again_. Sea Hawk remains unaffected, despite the intensity of the look. It seems like Sea Hawk might not have exaggerated them getting along, then. If he can just absorb that look from Catra, he probably would not be bothered by anything else she would be willing to do while having to be professional on set.

“He is Mermista’s boyfriend,” Adora clarifies for her, because Mermista certainly won’t say it despite it having been _years_. Sea Hawk beams at the same time as Mermista looks at Adora with mild offence.

“I have no idea what you are talking about. I don’t date actors,” Mermista replies. Catra narrows her eyes at Mermista, tail flicking in contained irritation as she clearly tries to take Mermista apart in her mind, looking for her motivations to determine if that was meant to be an insult.

“Catra, we have some questions prepared for you now that your evening has been cleared,” Bow announces, drawing attention away from the tension between Catra and Mermista as he pulls out a legal pad seemingly from thin air.

Catra’s eyes snap to him and she narrows them almost imperceptibly. “You leaked the location of the restaurant to force us into your ambush,” Catra accuses, outright glaring at Bow now. Bow looks startled.

“No, Bow isn’t like that, I promise,” Adora jumps in, moving one hand to rest it on Catra’s shoulder. She _gets it_ , Bow could not have worded that more suspiciously if he tried, but she knows that is not true. Angella had gotten them reservations, and it had been a mistake. Rebellion had seen the tweet right away and had plenty of time while they drove back to the hotel to decide on the ambush.

“You trust everybody,” Catra shoots back, turning her narrowed gaze on Adora now. Not actually true, but Adora is far more trusting than Catra, as least. Despite her words, Catra relaxes back into Adora’s arms, trusting her to have made the right judgement call with Bow. Catra sighs, waving her hand in the air in a clear _go ahead_ motion to Bow as she settles further back into Adora's embrace.

“Okay, first! Catra, what are your intentions with Adora?” Bow requests, making a clear tick on his pad before looking up at her. Catra stares at him, eyes wide and lips parted in open confusion at the question. It is almost laughable, really. Their entire lives growing up they were always watching each other’s backs – always risking it all to protect the other or just do something that would make them _smile_. To have somebody else trying to defend Adora, _from_ Catra no less – Adora is sure she would be offended if she was not so surprised.

“Well, I _was_ planning to desecrate the lounge seat on the balcony with her, but then you guys showed up,” Catra responds when she manages to recover from her shock. At least she is not offended – yet – but Adora chokes just a little, turning her face away to cough into her hand and avoid the pointed looks her bandmates are now giving her. She isn’t embarrassed, not really, but it was _surprising_ , and maybe a touch exciting.

“I was thinking more long-term, like if you believe in marriage and that kind of thing?” Bow tries, clearly a little flustered by her response. Adora suddenly remembers some promises between children in third grade that she definitely clung a little too hard to after Catra left - some promises she wrote and released a song for, even if no one but Catra could realize it - and decides that _now_ she is embarrassed.

“Bow, please?” Adora tries, voice still a little watery as she tries to recover from her choking fit with _that_ on her mind. She and Catra never talked about it, last thing on their mind when they were just struggling to make ends meet, and it certainly is not the time _now_. Bow shoots her an apologetic look, but Glimmer has no such qualms. She cuts to the heart of the matter

“How do we know you aren’t going to leave again and break her heart?” Glimmer demands, leaning forward. She is not outright glaring at Catra, but it is close enough. Adora feels her blood turn to ice.

“ _I_ broke her heart?” Catra demands, incredulous, sitting forward so suddenly she leaves Adora’s arms. Adora’s chest is tight with panic. This can’t be happening, not _tonight_. “It was my fault that you put so much pressure on her I hardly ever got to see my girlfriend anymore? That you needed so damn much from her that _you_ convinced me our relationship was worthless to her, that _I_ was worthless? It was my fault that you worked her until she _broke_ , and when I begged her to take a break, she was on tour again the next day for _you_? It’s _my_ fault that I had to watch the woman I love kill herself from a distance because I couldn’t stand to see it up close anymore?” Catra demands, voice rising in anger and volume.

The entire rooms blinks at her in stunned silence, Adora included. The panic is gone now, replaced by something much darker – much heavier. Guilt nearly chokes her. Catra draws in a sharp breath, eyes going wide and ears pinning back to her head as she seems to realize what she just said. Adora may be in minor shock over Catra’s statement, but that look triggers deep-rooted protective instincts in her.

“Get out,” Adora says, voice quiet but _hard_. It is all she can manage as she wraps her arms around Catra’s waist again, pulling her back against her chest so she can assure herself with the feeling of her breathing, here and in her arms. Glimmer winces, guilt obvious as she stands silently with the rest of the group members and leaves with only an apologetic look thrown back over her shoulder. The moment the door closes behind them, Catra turns into her embrace and begins to cry against her shoulder.

\--

“I love you,” Adora promises Catra after she has managed to calm her down from her hybrid crying session and panic attack.

“I know. I- you too. I just didn’t _then_. I felt that bitterness for so long, it just comes back sometimes,” Catra tells her, face still tucked into her shoulder, idly twining Adora’s loose hair between her claws as a distraction. Their breathing has steadied now, their chests rising and falling in a silent sync. “When I listened to _Heartstrings,_ I realized how wrong I had been about the whole thing, but I still couldn’t bring myself to watch you keep doing that to yourself. I almost called you so many times. I almost went to parties I knew you would be at. That is why I went to the award show, after avoiding you for so long. That and – I needed to see what happened with the album. How people reacted to our story,” Catra explains, still fidgeting with Adora’s hair. Her voice is a low whisper, thick with emotions. “When you were on stage, all I could think was _I love you too_. I wanted to come back to you so badly, but I was afraid of losing you to yourself, and I couldn’t go through that again.”

“You won’t. I promise,” Adora tells her, pulling her just a little bit closer. Catra gasps at the words. Adora feels the clench in her stomach, knowing exactly what Catra is remembering - the same thing she had remembered, earlier that night. The subject of Rebellion’s song _Sword And Shield_. “I’m sorry, about them ambushing you. I- I don’t think they would have done it. If they had known,” Adora tells her.

Catra stirs in her arms, looking up at her with searching eyes. At least she does not look sad, or guilty, or angry anymore. “You want to tell them?” she asks, voice soft and unsure. Adora could never look away from that gaze. She nods, eyes still locked.

“They don’t need all the details. But they have really been there for me, through everything. They were constantly trying to get me to take time off too, you know. I just – I couldn’t let myself do it. I was too afraid the second I stopped working it would all go away. Until you,” she says, nudging Catra’s shoulder lightly.

“Until me,” Catra echoes, softly, biting her lip and looking away. She sighs, eyes meeting Adora’s again. “Okay. You can tell the band - and your manager, I guess. As long as they can keep their mouths shut,” Catra agrees, dropping her head back to Adora’s shoulder. Making a decision seems to drain all her remaining energy, body going lax in a way that was not quite _relaxed_ and more _exhausted past the point of retaining muscle tension_.

“Thank you,” Adora responds, turning to pressing soft kisses into her hair. A low rumble of acknowledgement rolls through her girlfriend. For a moment, they just sit like that, the air hanging heavy around them. It is just a touch hard to breathe, still. The previous trajectory for the evening was not right, not anymore, but an earlier suggestion of Catra’s comes to her mind. She had wanted nothing to do with it then, but now they could use the levity.

“Hey,” Adora says, nudging Catra with the shoulder she is leaning against. Catra raises her head, blinking at her a bit blearily. “Want to read those terribly horny replies to your tweet now?”

A small smile slowly spreads across Catra’s face. “You mean _your_ tweet?” she corrects, lifting herself in Adora’s arms to readjust so she can lay on top of her again, letting Adora look over her shoulder as she pulls her cracked phone out of the pocket of her suit pants.

“Unfortunately,” Adora agrees, but she breathes easier seeing _relaxation_ seeping back into Catra’s body.

\--

_Adora Grayskull @adoragrayskull • Saturday, 2 hours ago_

If you tried to crash my date tonight, send me a pic of your signs. My girlfriend wants to make fun of me.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_2 hours ago • Reply by @brookrolleress_

Mine got torn on the subway coming home but it was the one that said “Can I grind on your abs”

_2 hours ago • Reply by @swiftiesroadie_

WAIT GIRLFRIEND???? SDHFSDKJFH IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A DATE. YOU CANT BE TAKEN

_2 hours ago • Reply by @teelagrl_

Mine said “don’t break her heart” I realized when I got there that most people were going in a different direction

_2 hours ago • Reply by @megancita796_

Okay it doesn’t photograph well because of the glitter but it says bench me adora. pls

[IMG_213]

_2 hours ago • Reply by @adorasponytail_

I’m not going to tweet a picture so I don’t get flagged but mine was the one with the drawing with earmuffs. Im not ashamed

_2 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

are u a uhaul lesbian or

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the Sword & Shield song is about their promise from the show, and also lowkey the backstory behind Adora's back tattoo, but more on both of those later lol  
> Never in my life have I seen a hotel with a balcony in NYC, at least not in Manhattan, but I’m standing by this one. Honestly haven't seen many balconies at all?? There is probably some kind of city ordinance but I don’t care this hotel has balconies.


	6. in so many eyes curious about me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your fans are cruel, you know that? At least mine just ask me to choke them out with my tail or something,” Catra tells her, rolling onto her side to nuzzle into Adora’s shoulder. Adora glares at the sky above her, imagining Catra getting those tweets, or worse yet having that fan interaction in person.  
> “We should come out,” she decides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Thumbs Up by MOMOLAND.  
> This update is a good time to mention that while homophobia does exist in-universe, it is more rare/generally less intense. There are still some people who feel it strongly, but it isn't super common.

“So, Adora, the new song you are performing for us today, it is a love song, isn’t it?” Kingston asks. The talk show set’s lighting is bright, but Adora knows the flush on her cheeks has nothing to do with the heat of the lights.

“Yes, it is,” she agrees, feeling Glimmer lean in to nudge her a little playfully. She shoves her bandmate away lightly, rolling her eyes at the face Glimmer pulls in return. She knows their fans – in twenty minutes there will be dozens of gifs of the moment on Twitter.

“Now am I to understand you recently got some new inspiration on that front?” Kingston asks, all faux-coy as the screen behind him pulls up a screenshot of Adora’s tweet from last night. Thankfully the image does not include any of the replies. Another image pulls up, showing her tweet about love from Tuesday.

Adora knows her blush is furious, but she just shrugs and shakes her head a little. “I wouldn’t call the inspiration new. It is just hard to make things work, between how busy our schedules are and having to dodge fans for a private moment,” Adora settles on saying. She and Catra talked this morning, when they had woken up groggy in each other’s arms after passing out scrolling through Twitter. They were still in their wrinkled suits from the night before, and Adora’s eyes stung from leaving her contacts in, but it had still been nice to wake up together again. They had decided there was no use in denying they were each dating someone, not anymore. They didn’t want to, either, despite their fears.

“Why worry about a private moment when you are just going to put it in a song?” Kingston asks, teasing and light, but Adora feels her blush fading as his words strike a chord in her. She can _feel_ herself getting intense, but she can’t help it as her brows draw together.

“Those moments are only song-worthy because we share them. They only mean anything because they belong to us. We might be celebrities, we might even be out, but our relationship is _ours_ ,” Adora explains, gesturing animatedly as she talks.

Kingston looks the kind of touched that only a showman can muster – that is to say, it’s a look of utter bullshit. “See, that sentiment right there – connecting with your emotions like that - it shows us why you are such a legendary lyricist, Adora,” he tells her. Adora takes the compliment with a gracious smile, even if she does not believe it for a second. She knows the best actress out there – Kingston does not come even close to comparing. Besides, he makes it sound like _having_ _emotions_ is a foreign concept to him. She wills her body to relax from her sudden passion. “But you said you are both celebrities? Does that mean you are dating another singer?” he presses, and Adora has to suppress an eyeroll at him immediately dismissing her supposedly _touching_ point.

“We have decided to keep private for as long as possible. Our friends know. That is all that matters to us,” Adora replies, leaning back on the couch in a clear gesture that this line of questioning should end if he ever wants them back. He obviously doesn’t want to, but Kingston drops it, turning to ask Mermista a question about the car accident she got in with Sea Hawk a few weeks back instead.

\--

Catra is still in her hotel room when she gets back, her flight back not until that evening. Rebellion still has another night show to tape before they head back in the early morning. As much as four AM flights suck, she is glad for the relative anonymity they offer. Perhaps in preparation for her flight, Catra has changed into a pair of sweats and an almost indecently-tight sweater, the sleeves of a giant cardigan rolled up her arms, but she is lounging out on the pool bed on balcony, seemingly content to soak in the usually-warm late winter sun with the privacy of the balcony’s solid wall of railing protecting her from street view.

“Kingston got as nosy as you predicted,” Adora tells her when she opens the balcony door. Catra lolls her head back, looking her up and down carefully. She is assessing to see if Adora is really upset, she knows. She sends Catra the same look all the time.

“I watched it. You handled him, well, though,” Catra praises, scooting over on the narrow lounge. Her tail thumps the seat beside her in an unspoken invitation and then sweeps into her lap to get out of the way. “A fan saw you leaving the hotel this morning. There has been a gathering of them on the street ever since. One of them brought a sign for _me_ ,” Catra informs her, smirking a bit when Adora rolls her eyes at Catra’s perverse delight. Adora moves to lay out on the lounge beside Catra, throwing an arm around her waist. The space is cramped, forcing their bodies into contact in an incredibly convenient way.

“I know, Juliet warned us. Do I want to know what the sign said?” Adora asks.

“‘We need more breakup songs.’ Your fans are cruel, you know that? At least mine just ask me to choke them out with my tail or something,” Catra tells her, rolling onto her side to nuzzle into Adora’s shoulder. Adora _glares_ at the sky above her, imagining Catra getting those tweets, or worse yet having that fan interaction _in person_.

“We should come out,” she decides. Catra laughs, light and delighted, propping her head up on her hand to look down at Adora. Her eyes dance with amusement over Adora’s jealousy. Adora knows, deep down, that them announcing their relationship would do nothing to dissuade people from thinking about Catra that way – or even messaging her that way, truthfully – but the fantasy is nice all the same.

“Princess, that is nothing compared to the shit I have seen about you. Although I do follow the Instagram dedicated to your abs. That is worthy content,” Catra tells her, smirk firmly in place as Adora blushes. Adora cannot let a challenge go unanswered, however, so she rolls onto her side as well, pressing along Catra’s front and reveling in the way her eyelids flutter for a moment at the contact.

“You don’t need an Instagram when I’m right here,” Adora points out, the arm she is not propped against moving to grip Catra’s waist, squeezing lightly. It is bold, but Catra has been _insinuating_ since Friday. Catra’s pupils dilate, gaze darting down to the hem of Adora’s shirt before coming back up to her face. Catra licks her lips, and Adora would be fool enough to believe it was an unconscious gesture if she did not look so smug at the way Adora’s gaze follows the action.

Adora does not need any further encouragement – she never does, with Catra. Any opening into her life, her heart, her _touch_ that Catra offers, Adora happily takes. She leans forward, nudging Catra’s cheek slightly to encourage her to angle back, meeting her easily when she does. The kiss is soft and slow, but deep from the start. Catra’s free hand comes up to wrap around the back of Adora’s head, holding her in place so she can keep the kiss going at her slow, languid pace. It is almost torture to finally be tasting Catra again and be held _back_ , but she has no intention of rushing Catra into a level of intimacy she is uncomfortable with.

That thought goes flying out the window when the hand in her hair drops to her shoulder and Adora finds herself pushed down so she is lying on her back, Catra crawling on top of her and grinning down at her in anticipation.

“Want to make a _different_ sign come true?” she asks. Adora swallows, feeling her gut clench without even knowing what Catra is planning.

“Happily,” she replies.

\--

**Catra Cyra Opens Up About Being Outed & Making a Public Lesbian Relationship Work**

“I was outed, I guess, but I was never in the closet to begin with.”

_Article by Staff Contributor Looki Razz_

According to Catra Cyra’s friends, she is a lot of things. We had the honour of sitting down with her at a Frght-Z concert in LA this Wednesday. Catra has long been friends with the idol group, having gone to high school with two of its members. Frght-Z is an all-sapphic fronted group, and they used many words to describe Catra. “Hardworking”, “mischievous”, “dramatic”, “caring”, “loyal”, and our favourite, “mean, but in a kind-hearted way.”

Another word they used was “lesbian.”

A week ago, Catra Cyra was publicly outed after an anonymous source on the set for her current film, _You Will Be Told_ , leaked a private phone conversation between her and her girlfriend. Catra Cyra’s now famous response was a one-sentence tweet: “If you thought I was straight then that’s on you.”

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Catra Cyra and asking her questions about navigating love and the industry as a lesbian.

**Your response to the article was very blasé. Was that really all you felt, or were you more bothered by being outed than you let on initially?**

“I was more bothered by how disrespectful and presumptive the initial article was than anything else. I was outed, I guess, but I was never in the closet to begin with. I spend all my time hanging out with other gays, and I know there is a photo online of me and Scorpia from school when I still had my dyke haircut. My sexuality was something I decided early on I wouldn’t make a big deal of, but I wouldn’t hide either. I already did that in high school, thanks.”

**It has only been a week, but have you noticed people treating you differently professionally?**

“Yeah, one or two people on set are clearly uncomfortable with me now, and my agent has been scrambling over what this means for my career, but I said at the very beginning I was not going to play straight. Honestly, the biggest difference so far is the tweets I have been getting ever since. I prefer the horny messages from sapphics to the ones from straight guys, but the slurs are getting real tiring.”

**This whole thing started because of a conversation with your girlfriend. What does she think of the situation?**

“My girlfriend is used to this kind of thing. She is in the public eye as well, so she is really understanding. We are both very private people, so we just want to keep the details of our relationship to ourselves.”

**Is it difficult to maintain a relationship with so much public pressure?**

“Very. Any celebrity relationship is hard, but being lesbians we have a different experience than straight couples do. It certainly does not make it easier, but we make each other happier at the end of the day.”

**You recently starred in your first romantic role as the lesbian love interest in Rebellion’s new music video for their single _Found_. What is your philosophy around acting in romantic roles, especially pretending to be straight?**

“Like I said, I decided early on I would not play straight. That includes acting professionally. I have played roles that had some romantic tension with male leads, but that is as far as I will go. My acting skills have nothing to do with my repulsion to the idea of kissing a man, especially forcing myself to do it for a job. It narrows down my choices of roles, definitely, but it is a line I am privileged to be able to draw and still have options available to me. I would love to play a lesbian in a larger role than a three-minute music video, but there aren’t a lot of roles out there for us yet, especially that aren’t overly sexual.”

\--

The end of the US leg of Frght-Z’s world tour is the best excuse Adora can find to make her way into LA again, even though Catra will not _be_ there. She had an interview alongside them on Wednesday, but Adora already had a practice arranged with Rebellion and had to settle on a phone call that night. The celebratory party is the next day, so Adora attends it knowing that when she leaves it will be to meet up with Catra at her apartment after she is done filming. Besides, it has been ages since she caught up with Scorpia, especially without Perfuma around, tying their hands on conversation topics.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am you and Wildcat patched things up. She was miserable without you,” Scorpia tells her, clapping her on the back hard enough she almost knocks Adora over. Adora would point out they are in public, but the VIP area of the club that BME has rented out for the party is mostly filled with people on BME’s bankroll right now. These people she trusts to keep their mouths shut, if only to keep their jobs. Besides, what Scorpia said was not damning.

“The feeling is mutual. I was a disaster without her,” Adora replies, taking the drink Scorpia offers her and raising it in a vague cheers motion. She doesn’t actually take a sip. She wants to be sober for Catra later, and Frght-Z often goes hard at these kinds of things. She wants to be able to keep an eye out for her friends, even if she is sure their bodyguards can handle it if needed.

Scorpia levels her with her best _no bullshit_ look – it is a very poor one. “You were _always_ a disaster, Adora, even when we were kids. Convinced if you just tried hard enough Weaver wouldn’t be able to get mad this time,” Scorpia points out, voice low. Adora winces, glancing around, but she has to nod. She knows where her issues come from, she does not need to argue the truth.

“I was worse without her. I’m working on it. I will treat her right this time, I promise,” Adora tells Scorpia, eager to deflect off that conversation track.

It is unnerving to see Scorpia, always so light and bright, get still and deadly serious. Adora has seen it happen before, but seeing such a dark look in her eye is so rare it still throws her off. “You had better,” Scorpia threatens. Adora holds her breath and nods, not breaking eye contact despite how wide her eyes have gotten. Scorpia instantly breaks into her happy, sunshine smile, dark look dissolving. “I’m happy for you two,” she adds, apparently satisfied Adora is not going to hurt Catra again.

“Thanks,” Adora manages, a bit weakly, still recovering from being on the receiving end of Scorpia’s intensity.

“We bullying Adora for being a dumbass?” Lonnie asks from her right, causing Adora to startle and look over. Lonnie has her hand on Entrapta’s arm, clearly doing her best to keep her fellow idol from wandering off before the party even begins. Entrapta, for her part, just waves happily at Adora, unbothered by being dragged along. Emily and Darla are both trailing behind her, apparently all too happy to let Lonnie deal with wrangling _their_ girlfriend.

“Bullying over, now we’re celebrating! To some happy love songs, yeah?” Scorpia corrects, raising her glass. Adora blushes, but she raises hers as well. After they cheers, Scorpia throws her drink back in one go.

It is going to be a long night.

\--

_Adora Grayskull @adoragrayskull • Thursday, 40 minutes ago_

Congrats to Frght-Z for a fantastic US tour!! So proud of you ladies <3 And don’t worry if you were at the afterparty! The property damage was minor and Scorpia’s fine.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Thursday, 40 minutes ago • Reply by @frighterzz_

Dude I was there!!! The table smash was epic

_Thursday, 40 minutes ago • Reply by @stephanieharding12_

Adora you can’t say “don’t worry” and then follow it up with the phrase “property damage” wtf that’s not how twit works

_Thursday, 40 minutes ago • Reply by @earmuffs4adora_

did your girlfriend come?

_Thursday, 40 minutes ago • Reply by @nineten_

Wtf happened? property damage??? Is everyone ok?? Why are you the one tweeting about this and not the band

_Thursday, 40 minutes ago • Reply by @pinchmescorpia_

> @nineten ok so i was there it was epic Scorpia got wasted and broke a table in half trying to LEAN on it because her biceps are so big that when she’s drunk it turns into a piledrive. im still wet just from watching it tbh

\--

Catra’s apartment may be small, but it has a fantastic balcony that looks out over the LA skyline, glittering with artificial lights at the late hour. A small planter box sits in the corner next to a lawn chair.

“So Melog gets some greenery. It is probably about the same as what he would see at a public park in this city anyway,” Catra explains when Adora looks at the planter questioningly. She did not exactly have time to look around the last time she came over, too focused on taking care of Catra and then later Melog until she realized she was going to be late for her meeting. “Scorpia had Perfuma set it up for me,” Catra elaborates as she leads Adora back inside. She settles them on the couch, rolling her eyes when Adora sits beside her. She pushes Adora’s shoulder, encouraging her to lie back, and then drapes across her. Adora lets out a happy sigh, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and turning her head to steal a quick kiss.

It was supposed to be a quick kiss, anyway. She can’t help the way that Catra draws her in, intoxicating to all her senses and drowning out all other thoughts. Her body moves of its own accord, one hand sneaking beneath the hem of Catra’s lounge shirt and the other burying in her hair. Sometimes she feels like she has no control when it comes to Catra, the other girl pulling her in like a siren song that makes her lose all reason.

Catra is her favourite possession, Adora thinks, and that trail of thought spirals out until she finds she is humming into the kiss.

Catra pulls back from the kiss, eyes dancing in amusement as she looks down at Adora. “You were writing lyrics just now, weren’t you?” she asks, a touch breathless. There is a shining love on her face, a ghost of familiarity in the moment. Adora feels like she has no air left in her lungs, so she merely nods. Catra’s answering smile is soft and touched. “Go ahead,” she tells her.

The familiarity of it all makes Adora’s heart pound as she wrestles her phone out of her jeans pocket and begins typing away a note over Catra’s back, arms still wrapped around her. This is not the first time this has happened – but it is the first time in two years.

“Does it have a name, yet?” Catra asks, pressing a kiss to Adora’s jaw and causing her thumbs to skitter across her phone’s keyboard for a moment.

“Possession, I think,” Adora manages, gasping softly as Catra nips lightly at the side of her neck, fangs just grazing her skin. After a brief pause, she types out another line. Catra’s rumble rises between them for a moment before she latches onto the side of Adora’s neck with a bite that causes her back to arch off the couch with a soft cry. “ _Catra_ ,” she breathes, voice sounding like an admonishment, though she is not sure for _what_. She types out another line.

“You know how to use concealer,” Catra teases before latching on again to make another dark mark, fangs sharp against her skin. Ah, right, that is what she should be scolding Catra for – if her higher thought processes were working at all. “Or you can leave it. Show them you are _taken_ ,” Catra punctuates the sentiment with another sharp bite, Adora’s phone falling out of her shaking hands and getting lost somewhere in the sofa as she moans.

“Everyone knows that, anyway,” Adora points out, but she brings up her now-free hands to bury them in Catra’s hair. Catra does not seem to like that argument – the next bite is harsh and painful, sending a thrill through Adora’s core as she lets out a soft cry.

“You’re _mine_ ,” is Catra’s reply, just a hair above of growl. Adora lets out a soft whine, no rebuttal left for that statement. It occurs to her that perhaps Catra heard the wrong definition of _possession_ , but she certainly is not _complaining_. She might even explore the double meaning in the lyrics, now, when she has that kind of room in her brain again.

“Yours,” she agrees in a soft pant. Catra _does_ growl now, hands coming up to Adora’s chest. Adora realizes suddenly that Catra’s claws are out now.

“I hope you don’t like this dress, princess. Enough other people have seen you in it,” Catra threatens. It is not much a threat – Adora shakes her head eagerly to prove she does not, in fact, give a shit about the bodycon dress she had thrown on to not feel out of place in the club. Catra grins, all teeth and fangs, as she tucks her claws inside the collar of the dress and pulls down, claws ripping it from collar to hem. Adora gasps at the sudden rush of air against her, despite the forewarning.

Catra’s grin is feral as she so-casually trails her claws down Adora’s exposed front, leaving pink trails in her skin as she goes. Adora whines, thighs clenching, at the intensity in Catra’s gaze.

“I think I need to _mark_ my territory,” Catra says, conversationally, claws dancing across Adora’s hips infuriatingly lightly. Her hand reaches the waistband of Adora’s underwear, and Adora gives up on finding words again with a quiet moan.

\--

“Catra’s name was always the main candidate in the rumours about who you were seeing,” Angella points out, raising an eyebrow at Adora.

Adora is doing her best to sink down in her seat, despite the glass of the conference table giving her nowhere to hide. The overhead projector is still showing the blurry paparazzi photos of Adora walking out of Catra’s apartment building, down the street, and getting into her recognizable muscle car. Despite the blurriness, the fang impressions on Adora’s neck stand out. Fans had quickly recognized the hoodie Adora had borrowed as one Catra wore to a Frght-Z concert last year – her DIY distressing was distinctive.

It took the internet all of three minutes to put it together. Add them going back through all the tweets of the fan who had outed Adora as having a girlfriend initially, and the rumour was all but confirmed. Angella had texted her immediately, looping Catra into their group chat. They all agreed to wait a day to gauge the reaction. Adora spent most of Friday on the phone with Catra between shots, talking about absolutely nothing but fueled by an unspoken fear of hanging up and finding the other gone somehow.

Now it is Saturday, and despite knowing this meeting was coming, Adora is no more prepared for it.

“You knew this was inevitable,” Angella adds.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Adora mutters, still not making eye contact. That was the same phrasing Catra had used when they were first spotted, too. _Inevitable_. Nothing was inevitable. They were living proof of that, overcoming the odds that they had. Adora sighs, sending Angella an apologetic look. It really was not her fault. “I’m just - scared,” she admits. Glimmer places a light hand on her shoulder, sending her an empathetic look. A _talk to us_ look. Adora sighs again, looking away.

“Now people know, it just feels like they are going to try to take her from me again,” Adora explains. She catches Perfuma’s eye and sees the look of understand there. Perfuma has been through a lot at the hands of the public as an openly trans lesbian, especially in the idol world. She knows what it is like to have fame take things away from her. Still, she cannot know how deep the sentiment runs for Adora.

“Fan reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. There is always the obsessive contingent that believes they are your one true love or that she isn’t good enough for you, but aside from that Catra has been welcomed by the fans with open arms. Catra has been on the fandom’s radar for quite some time thanks to her friendship with Frght-Z, even before the music video for _Found_ properly introduced her. They have been eager to accept her,” Angella tries to assure her. It eases Adora a little bit, but it does not address the root of the matter – the way public pressure drove Adora to self-sacrifice, the ever-present fear related to their relationship being known.

“ _Found_ has had its views skyrocket. It just crossed 34 _million_. The fans are calling you ‘Catradora’,” Bow jumps in, showing her his phone where he has the video pulled up, view count climbing. Adora sends him a grateful smile, but it is hollow. She knows they are just trying to help – but they _aren’t_.

“Is Catra okay with the attention?” Perfuma asks, suddenly. Adora startles to look at her and finds Perfuma’s eyes boring into her. Perfuma can tell there is more that is wrong, more than Adora is saying, even if she has pulled the wrong thing as the issue. Adora lets out a shaky breath. She _has_ been saying it, they just have not understood – because they can’t, not knowing what they do, at least.

“She slides between finding it funny and getting possessive of me. So, normal for her. We-“ Adora cuts off, looking down at her feet. It has been a week. There is no better time than when they are all gathered like this, and they are _asking_ , even if they don’t know they are.

“Catra gave me permission to tell you why, back in New York. I just wasn’t ready myself yet. It’s- time you know,” she says softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I didn’t change their in-canon shipname. tiffintherink started the catdora updates account, but catradora is how their shipname caught on in the fandom. tiffintherink is absolutely bitter about it. It’s my reference to how the crew had different names for almost all the ships.  
> I also had the article that outed Catra call Frght-Z an all-lesbian fronted group, whereas the article in this chapter more aptly called it an all-sapphic fronted group seeing as there are bi members.


	7. felt like heaven but you might not get in it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I didn’t mean to get caught,” Adora fires back, flopping back against her sofa and glaring up at the ceiling. Catra draws in a shaking breath on the other end of the line.
> 
> “I know, Adora,” she says softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this was the fluff AU but idk how you want me to write catradora without there being some childhood trauma.  
> Title from Kill This Love by Blackpink.  
> To clarify for the Twitter convo: the header with the timestamp on the far right shows who is tweeting, the @ in the tweet itself below shows who they are responding to.

The table shifts around her, people stirring as they send glances back and forth to each other. No one seems to understand what that means. Angella’s expression is artfully blank, but there is a sour twist to her mouth that tells Adora she has suspicions about what she is about to say. Not the Angella knows, not really, but she was the one who scouted Adora. She saw how bad their situation was once they got _out_ , even without details or ever meeting Catra.

Adora sighs, sitting up in her seat and straightening her back. She prepares for battle – but she still keeps her eyes downcast. She doesn’t want to see pity.

“Catra and I are both orphans. We were raised in a really homophobic group foster home together basically from infancy. Catra was outed first and – the lady running it, Shadow, she said if Catra was going to act like a boy she was going to look like one. She forcibly cut her hair off in front of all of us," Adora pauses, drawing in a deep breath at the same time as she hears several of her friends draw in sharp ones. "Shadow was always doing stuff like that to us. Worse, sometimes. When it became clear I wasn’t straight either, she blamed Catra for turning me gay. We had to be so careful after that, hiding who we were and how we felt about each other,” Adora explains, gaze fixed on the worn toes of her converse through the glass table.

“When I got scouted, it was like a Hail Mary. We did not want to hide who we were anymore, but – that’s why you never met her, before. Why we came out but kept each other secret. Even though we knew that was an old mindset, we grew up dominated by it. It was hard enough to take the risk of being out. It felt too dangerous for people to know about us, after having to hide it for so long, even if we should have been safe,” Adora explains, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the screen. She still does not look up. She had been vague, she had used some allusions - but the one example she gave was enough to extrapolate the rest. She knows that even without saying it, her groupmates know. There have been several sharp intakes of breath while she was talking, and Bow is _definitely_ crying, but she does not know how to provide comfort. She does not know _why_ she would either. It was terrible, there was no positive aside from it being over.

Adora looks up, fixing her gaze determinedly on the projector photos. She can see angry and teary eyes out of her periphery, but she resolutely ignores it. If she does not press on now, she will not finish. “That is why I am afraid. But I don’t want to hide anymore, and neither does she. I don’t want to talk about our past. I’m only telling you now so you can understand. Scorpia and Lonnie grew up with us, so they know, but I still don’t want it to leave this room, and I certainly don’t want the public to know. Still – that is why,” Adora finishes, swallowing thickly. Her eyes are burning. She closes them, drawing a deep breath and feeling the way it makes the raised lines on her hips and stomach burn as they stretch with the rise and fall. It feels good, that physical proof that Catra is with her, is still a part of her life, even if she is not in the room.

“Thank you for telling us, Adora. You are incredibly brave to have gone through what you have and still be standing – both of you are. Most people would not have the strength to be kind and honest the way you are after all that,” Angella says, voice soft and rough with emotion. Adora startles, meeting her eyes without really meaning to and finding tears there.

Adora is used to compliments by now. She got desensitized to meaningless praise after their first album went platinum. Genuine compliments still strike a deep chord in her, and this praise is not meaningless. It could be hollow, maybe, from someone else, but Angella is visibly touched and struggling.

Adora swallows thickly and closes her eyes, willing her body to calm itself. Glimmer and Bow both have a hand on either of her shoulders, now, though she is not sure how long that has been true. She lets herself hang her head and have a moment to let the emotions stirring in her body run their course.

She takes a shaking breath and looks up again. “I think I want to make a statement, but I have to check with Catra first.”

\--

_Adora Grayskull @adoragrayskull • Saturday, 5 minutes ago_

Me and @catracyra are both very private people. My music is not an invitation into our relationship. Our love is just between the two of us. We have been together for years & we request that people respect us. We will share the parts of our lives we are comfortable with.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Saturday, 5 minutes ago • Reply by @adoragrayskull_

The rest is just for us. We have been together since high school, but I wrote most of Heartstrings during a period when we were broken up from the stress Rebellion put on our lives. Catra is supportive of my music and I support her acting career completely.

_Saturday, 4 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

Translation: All I want is one normal date that doesn’t end up on the internet. And for christ’s sake stop thirst tweeting me. You can get in line.

\--

“You added the thirst tweeting part,” Adora accuses without heat. She had found it funny, honestly. Catra just hums down the line in satisfaction.

“Serves you right for getting spotted. I have to _move_ Adora. I have two months left on my lease, but Melog can only take so much fan screaming interrupting his balcony naps. There is no point renting an apartment for _stability_ if I could get more rest at a hotel. I have to do my hair when I do runs to seven-eleven now,” Catra complains. Adora winces, but Catra does not actually sound that annoyed - at least not at _her_.

“I didn’t _mean_ to get caught,” she fires back, flopping back against her sofa and glaring up at the ceiling. Catra draws in a shaking breath on the other end of the line.

“I know, Adora,” she says softly. Adora sighs. She knew Catra was only teasing, but she snapped anyway. “Sorry. I wasn't blaming you, it’s just- a lot to suddenly be dealing with, especially without you here. I know this is just – what your life is like,” Catra apologizes softly. Adora stares at her ceiling in shock, processing an _apology_ from Catra, especially an unnecessary one.

“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have risen to that. I- are you really moving?” she asks, trying to clutch onto some kind of solid ground. Catra huffs a slightly strained laugh, but she lets out an oddly happy trill that sounds warped in tone by the phone line.

“Sorry, Melog is making biscuits on my stomach. He always does this when I’m upset,” Catra explains, and suddenly the noises make more sense. Adora pictures Catra, flopped out across her little twin bed, Melog kneading on her stomach, and she actually smiles at the image. “Yeah, I’m really moving. I have plenty saved up from living the way I do. I’m not worried about having two rents briefly. I’d rather do it than have to sacrifice my privacy like this,” Catra tells her. A deep rumbling is working its way over the call now, a sound obviously not originating from Catra even distorted by the phone call.

Adora chews on her lip. “Is it too soon for me to say anything?” she asks. She knows Catra will catch her meaning. There is a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

“Have you thought about it before now?” Catra asks, softly. Adora actually scoffs at that.

“Only from the moment you unblocked my number. I still don’t really know how to sleep without you. I know you might still need to find a way to stay closer to set during the week but – I’d like to _be_ with you again,” Adora explains.

The other end of the line is silent for several moments. “You want to ask me the question?” Catra asks. Adora pauses, not sure what Catra actually wants from her. She thought she had been perfectly clear about her intentions. “Maybe I need to hear you say it,” Catra adds, voice soft.

A smile breaks out across Adora’s face. “Catra, my love, would you do me the honour of going apartment hunting with me?” she asks. The purr coming down the line now is definitely Catra’s.

\--

_#STREAMFOUND @tiffintherink • Sunday, 17 hours ago_

now we all know: @adoragrayskull what was up with that acceptance speech when Heartstrings won album of the year??

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Monday, 3 hours ago • Reply by @catracyra_

Adora will never see this so you get the mean one: she knew I was there, I came to see her, and we were patching things up. I’m only telling you out of courtesy for not outing me. You weren’t a massive piece of shit when u could have been and that’s rare in LA.

_Monday, 3 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

@catracyra wow didnt know getting insulted did it for me but if it doesnt work out with adora step on me?

_Monday, 2 hours ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@tiffintherink Sorry but we promised ourselves to each other in third grade and that hasn’t changed

_Monday, 2 hours ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

@catracyra wait fucking seriously how are yall this cute on TOP of being hot give us SOMETHING

_Monday, 2 hours ago • Reply by @adoringstan_

Omg tiffany using her powers for good ty for the food

\--

_Adora Gayskull @adoragrayskull • Tuesday, 19 minutes ago_

@catracyra I can’t believe you told the internet we became life partners in third grade

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Tuesday, 18 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@adoragrayskull I can’t believe you released an entire song about how bad you wanted to fuck me in high school

_Tuesday, 17 minutes ago • Reply by @adoragrayskull_

@catracyra The hook is “We run in parallel” I would argue the main point of the song is how pathetically I was yearning for you then

_Tuesday, 16 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@adoragrayskull No one is buying the bullshit you’re selling, princess. The internet knows you’re nasty. Nice new screenname btw

_Tuesday, 15 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@adoragrayskull @catracyra Are you two even at your own apartments or are you flirting via twitter from the same couch

_Tuesday, 13 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@glimmerbomb We’re not even in the same zip code rn calm down. I’m on set. But hey want to come pick up the horde of your fans someone left outside of my apartment? They’re upsetting my cat.

_Tuesday, 12 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@catracyra Is that a joke??

_Tuesday, 9 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@glimmerbomb What your life? No Melog has gone through two of his scratching posts this week. I’m about to fucking join him

_Tuesday, 8 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@catracyra You have a cat

_Tuesday, 7 minutes ago • Reply by @adoragrayskull_

@glimmerbomb @catracyra He’s really sweet and he’s leashed trained. Catra rescued him from the street cuz she’s a secret softie

_Tuesday, 6 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@adoragrayskull @glimmerbomb He is not TRAINED you don’t train a cat. He just enjoys going on dignified walks around the neighbourhood with his bitch mom. Something I can never do again

_Tuesday, 5 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@catracyra Catra add me back on snapchat so I can send you a video of how hard I’m laughing

_Tuesday, 2 minutes ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@glimmerbomb So you can make a fool of yourself? Pretty sure your old tweets about me already did the job but thanks for the offer, Sparkles

\--

**Glim** **✨**

_Expand contact details >>_

You have to break up

You tweeted it

And I DELETED it this is war Grayskull I hope you realize that

It’s the internet deleting means nothing

Hang on Catra’s calling me

Tell her to prepare for battle

Your shipname is sparklekitten

What

Your and Catra’s shipname is sparklekitten. Damn they’re fast

Catra’s texting me links to fanedits already

I’m going to kill your girlfriend and then our fanbase

Some of these are from when you first tweeted about her

Sorry Glim it’s way too late for you

Treason

\--

Adora gets the call while she is in the middle of a songwriting session with Spinnerella. She has her phone muted, but Catra’s calls are set to always go through.

“I have to take this,” Adora apologizes, stepping away from the microphone to take the call in the corner of the room. “Catra?” she questions, unsure. Catra should be filming right now, and with the exception of Friday she never calls from set unless she has managed to get total privacy. Despite their relationship being public, now, they do not want their conversations to be.

“Where are you right now?” Catra asks, her voice an edge unsteady.

“I’m in the studio. Are you alright? What is going on?”

She hears Catra lean away from the phone for the moment, softly cursing. A moment later she returns. “Shoot got rearranged, some tech issue bullshit. I came home early and I- There’s a lot of people here, Adora,” Catra explains, voice quiet like she is afraid of being overheard. Adora understands very quickly.

“Did you make it inside?” she asks. She feels a hand on her shoulder, Spinnerella looking at her with concern, but Adora waves her off despite knowing the distress must be obvious on her face.

Melog’s scratchy mew answers her. “Yeah. I’m sitting on the floor of my bathroom. I can still hear shouting on the street. They aren’t angry or anything – well, there is a bible-thumper, but – I’m just scared. I don’t know why,” Catra replies. Her voice is a bit stronger than it had been at the start of the call, wavering less.

“We both know why. It is nothing to be ashamed of, Catra,” Adora replies, maybe a bit too forcefully from the way Catra draws in a sharp breath. Adora sighs, resting a hand against her brow to think. “It’s been five days. They aren’t going away,” she reasons, thinking out loud.

“Thanks, real comforting, Adora,” Catra drawls, but the sarcasm is a good sign, at least. Adora has seen Catra so far gone she could not make jokes before – she never wants to see her like that again.

“I’m making an argument here. I know it would be a shitty commute, but my apartment is outside of the county. I have never had any problems with getting spotted. If you want to take Melog there, I can meet you in two hours. It will take you at least that long to get there with traffic right now. It’s a shitty solution, but it is just temporary until we can find our new place. If we need to, we can get you a hotel near set, but Melog and all your stuff would be somewhere safe. You wouldn’t have to go back there again. Not until we find somewhere and need the furniture at least,” Adora argues, motioning with her free hand as she talks despite the fact that Catra can’t see her. She accidentally collides with Spinnerella’s arm as she gestures, but she does not look up from where she is staring determinedly at the wall like that will help convince Catra.

She knows she just did it again – just got _intense_ again – and that probably is not the ideal thing in this situation, but Catra always said she loved her intensity. Hopefully, it was grounding instead of overwhelming. The breathing on the other end of the line is shaky, but Adora comforts herself with the knowledge that Catra is still there and thinking.

“I- Ok. I can have a week’s worth packed away in half an hour, probably. Text me your address and I’ll head over once I manage to get all of Melog’s stuff out to my car through the crowd. Just - leave your phone on, please. I’ll be texting,” Catra tells her. Adora lets out a sigh of relief. She hates to see Catra like this, but the worst part is she understands her fears – she feels them to. It will be awkward and rough until they find somewhere new, or at least for the next month while Catra finishes filming, but they will be together.

“I can leave the call on speaker. I’m in a writing session with Spinny right now, it’s no big deal if you listen. Might help with my inspiration to know you’re listening, actually. Just mute your mic unless you need something, I guess. I don’t really want you to be alone right now either,” Adora tells her.

“I- Okay,” Catra manages, voice small and choked.

\--

“Are we really doing this?” Catra asks her. Adora pauses, pulling back to look down at her questioningly. Catra rolls her eyes and threads her hand into Adora’s loose hair, directing her back down to her neck. “We are definitely doing _this_ , I meant the house,” she clarifies, breath hitching as Adora’s hands find their way beneath the edge of her loose band shirt. Not a Rebellion shirt, to be clear, and Adora is going to have to _do_ something about that later, but-

“We can afford it outright. It’s the only way we get privacy. We have had this conversation four times, Catra,” Adora points out between pressing kisses down the length of her neck. She is not sure why Catra is bringing this up after she pulled Adora against her, encouraging Adora to press her up against the bedroom door, the final pieces from Catra’s apartment still scattered around them after an awkward night move. They needed to wait until after shooting was done for the day, and dark had provided them some reprieve from the gaggle that had become a fixture at Catra’s place. Adora’s apartment is a touch small for both of them, truthfully – both her and Catra were used to living with the bare minimum of what they needed - but it is only a temporary solution. It has worked fine for the last week they have been forced to make it work, at least.

Hopefully not much longer. Even after hitting majour roles, Catra could never justify having two places when she was on her own, not with how they grew up. Now, a house near Adora’s studio in private neighbourhood not only feels right – it is pretty much the only true solution left. Catra can rent suites and extended stay locations near her film sets like actors usually do, knowing Adora is home and taking care of Melog for her if she cannot make herself do the long drive back on shoot days.

“Maybe I just need to know you haven’t changed your mind,” Catra murmurs, ears pinning back with her admission – or maybe because on the way Adora’s teeth graze her collarbone. Adora pulls back, ignoring the whine it earns her, and assesses her girlfriend.

Catra is plastered with her back against the bedroom door, jeans half undone and shirt askew. Her tail is twitching the way it gets when she is containing herself, but from her demeanor it could be in response to Adora’s touch or anxiety from the conversation she has decided to start in the middle of the make out she _also_ started. Her eyes are focused somewhere around Adora’s ribcage, carefully looking at not much of anything despite the flush on her cheeks. From under the bedroom door, Melog’s paws peek out occasionally as he tries to make his way back inside the room he has been banished from.

“I want to have a space that is ours, where we don’t have to deal with all the bullshit that follows us everywhere else. I’m not backing out on you. If you are unsure, we can call the agent right now and tell them to cancel the offer. But no part of me is considering that unless it is what you want,” Adora tells her, watching Catra’s reaction. Catra releases a shuddering breath, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she listens. Slowly, the wrinkle in her brow flattens, and her tail begins to properly sway, sweeping playfully back and forth against the door.

“You can’t say shit like that and leave a gap between us, princess,” Catra tells her, angling her chin back in invitation. Adora lets herself relax at the sight of Catra eased after spending the day doing something as stressful as putting in the offer and then moving the last of her things.

Adora follows Catra’s invitation, pressing in to pin her against the door with a kiss and hands on her waist. Catra sighs happily into the kiss, body shifting to arch into Adora. After a long, deep kiss, Adora drops her head to press kisses under her jaw again, sensing more words coming.

“Adora? Thanks,” Catra murmurs. Adora tightens her grip, reveling in the way it makes Catra arch as her tail lashes, and shifts back up to kiss her properly.

“I love you, no matter what the world around us does,” Adora promises her. Catra shudders in her grip, eyes falling closed a moment.

When she opens them again, they are dark with intent. “Take me to bed, Adora,” Catra responds. Adora does not need further encouragement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're not American: foster care has completely replaced orphanages here, though there are group homes. In other countries I know foster kids are specifically children that have been removed from their families, but in America it is used for any child that does not have a legal guardian and is a ward of the state. Thus Catra and Adora are both orphans and foster kids.  
> also I don't think I've thanked zrhueiao yet for also leaving username suggestions, so add them to the list of contributors to this fic! Thanks for all your help guys <3  
>  _Parallel_ making another return. Adora will never live that down - not until she releases something MORE sappy/horny at least. The reason Catra didn't think that song was about her is because it a) has a co-writing credit and b) they had known they would be together forever. She didn't realize how badly Adora was still yearning to actually BE together once they got out, so she assumed it was more of the co-writer's story and it just fit on the album about love.


	8. i sing for you to fall deeper into me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If finally taking Catra to visit the studio felt weird, the cosmic chances of turning on Swift Wind and immediately being greeted by Found playing on the radio soothes her a bit. They both laugh about it, Adora finding the coil of worry in her chest unraveling at the rasp of Catra’s laugh so early in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from LATATA by (G)I-DLE.  
> Terms: A “comeback” is just when a group returns with new music. I initially used it several times in this fic and then edited it out to reduce confusion. Fan cafés are a thing the major labels have in Korea with idol-themed food & drinks and markings on the menu of each idol’s favourite dish. Fans will go there in hopes and catching a glimpse of their favourite idol as they go to practice or w/e.

If finally taking Catra to visit the studio felt weird, the cosmic chances of turning on Swift Wind and immediately being greeted by _Found_ playing on the radio soothes her a bit. They both laugh about it, Adora finding the coil of worry in her chest unraveling at the rasp of Catra’s laugh so early in the morning.

It has been two weeks since their relationship has been made public to the world. The first day off Catra got from filming they dedicated to looking for a new place, and the second to house negotiations. Now they are just waiting for title business to clear, and Catra had cautiously asked if she could see the studio earlier in the week. It is three years overdue, perhaps, but there is no way Catra could have visited without being spotted, not with the fan café always attracting a decent crowd regardless of time of day or year.

But it does not _matter_ anymore. There is no secret to keep, not between them. The world has known for two weeks and yet no one has kidnapped Catra out from their bed in the middle of the night. Rebellion’s music is still selling – selling better than _ever_ , actually, with all the buzz around their romance – and Catra is still getting auditions, maybe is even on the way to lining up her next role. So Adora brings Catra to visit without worry. She parks her car in the private staff garage and throws an arm across the passenger seat to stop Catra from getting out. Catra raises an eyebrow at her, but Adora just grins and shakes her head.

“Just wait,” she tells her, getting out of the car herself and walking around so she can open the door for Catra. Fond amusement sparks in Catra’s eyes and she lets out a trill, throwing one leg out of the car and exiting it dramatically. Like a movie star. Which she is. She is going to be at the _Oscars_ in three weeks, after all. Adora watched her go over the suit options her stylist sent her last night and lost her mind just a little bit picturing Catra in any of them.

 _Fuck_ , Adora has it bad.

“I forgot how much of a gentleman you are,” Catra purrs, leaning against Swift Wind's backseat door and crossing her ankles as she watches Adora close the passenger door and lock the car.

“I _couldn’t_ before,” Adora complains, and maybe she would be bitter about it if she was not so _happy_ this morning. Catra smiles at her, lopsided with just a flash of fangs, and Adora feels her mouth going dry despite the fact they are in a public parking lot. Private, actually, but same difference when it comes to getting caught.

Adora has never been able to resist Catra, however, so she finds herself taking the bait and boxing Catra in against Swift Wind, hands on the low roof on either side of her while Catra meets her in a slow, languid kiss. Catra uncrosses her legs, giving Adora the opportunity to press in closer, grip tightening on the car roof.

“I, ah, I swear this thing is your second love,” Catra manages between kisses, dropping one hand to rap lightly against Swift Wind’s door. Her other hand comes up to fist in Adora’s jacket, insistently tugging her closer.

“Nothing can compare to you, kitten,” Adora promises between the kisses, voice low. Catra shivers into the next kiss, but when it finishes she pulls back and fixes Adora with a narrow-eyed glare.

“We’ll have sex in the backseat before you call me that where it can be overheard again,” she threatens, voice totally breathless. Adora _feels_ her brain shut off, eyes glazing over as her gut clenches at _that_ mental image. Catra laughs, light and amused, at the way Adora becomes completely useless in the face of her words.

“Not happening, princess. But we should probably head in before we get caught in what I _am_ willing to do,” Catra tells her, raising a hand to lightly pat her cheek. She finishes the motion by leaning forward, pressing a chaste kiss against Adora’s lips. Adora sighs, not quite disappointed, but also thoroughly unhappy to be breaking the moment.

Still, she is excited to actually show Catra around. They have plenty of time to kiss in places where Adora can call her whatever pet names she likes later.

\--

_Adora Gayskull @adoragrayskull • Sunday, 1 hour ago_

Taking @catracyra to tour the studio today. When we got in the car they were playing Found on the radio. Some mornings it just feels meant to be <3

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @catracyra_

She made me tweet this for her. Don’t text and drive children.

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @frostedprincess_

@catracyra Adora texts and drives all the time

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@frostedprincess She uses hands-free, but Adora is a bad example in life. Shouldn’t you be in school?

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @frostedprincess_

@catracyra It’s Sunday, I’m homeschooled, and I’m meeting you there in an hour???

\--

It is almost an adrenaline rush to walk past the fan café blatantly holding Catra’s hand. The security guards keep anyone from approaching them, but Adora waves through the windows as she sees multiple people inside scramble, some rushing towards the glass while others reach for their phones. Catra just looks vaguely amused.

“I’m not waving at the people who drove me out of my apartment,” she says, but she does not sound bothered. Those few days had been incredibly stressful, and Catra has to spend some nights in a hotel near set now, but getting to wake up to her during the others makes it all worth it in Adora’s mind. Adora squeezes her hand and Catra rolls her eyes, releasing it to wrap herself around Adora’s arm instead. Even from here Adora can hear a gasp rise inside the café. It makes Catra snicker, hiding the motion behind her hand. Adora blatantly watches her, a flush of unknown origins rising on her face.

“One of them _cooed_. How tightly wound are your fans that this much affection makes them melt?” Catra asks, ear flicking towards the café as they finally reach the elevators.

“I mean, it looks like it is mostly high schoolers right now, and you remember how _we_ were then,” Adora points out, calling the elevator for them and stepping back to wait. Catra wrinkles her nose.

“I prefer not to remember a second of that, thank you. I was so stupid for you, it was such a mess,” Catra recalls. Despite her words, her mouth twitches in a fond smile. Adora laughs.

“And you make fun of me for _Parallel_ ,” she teases, leading Catra forward as the elevator finally opens. She sees a wicked smirk cross Catra’s face for a moment in the mirrored back wall of the elevator before Catra is turning to look over her shoulder. She times it perfectly, because of course she does.

She steps through the elevator doors, tail whipping forward to avoid the doors and subsequently looping loosely around Adora’s hip. Adora feels a blush rising, but Catra is far from done. She makes eye contact with Adora in her reflection as the doors begin to shut behind them. A moment before they close and completely block them from view, Catra’s hand snatches forward and grabs the front of Adora’s shirt. She hauls her forward, pressing her up against the back wall with a bruising kiss. She has her hands on either side of Adora’s head before the soft ding signals that the doors have finally closed.

\--

_gay4grayskull @rebelstandom • Sunday, 25 minutes ago_

No joke just saw #Catradora start to makeout in the back of an elevator at @BrightMoonEntertainment HQ. Like shoved against a wall making out. They did it in full view of the café but the doors closed before I got a pic

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sunday, 23 minutes ago • Reply by @rebelstandom_

Catra was hanging off Adora’s arm before that when they were walking up. They’re disgusting together I love it. Where’s our next Parallel @adoragrayskull huh???

_Sunday, 20 minutes ago • Reply by @tiffintherink_

@rebelstandom WHY didn’t you get footage I CANT BELIEVE I SKIPPED THIS SUNDAY AND MISSED THIS

_Sunday, 18 minutes ago • Reply by @furryousfan_

@rebelstandom Who was on top this is important

_Sunday, 15 minutes ago • Reply by @rebelstandom_

@furryousfan Idk if I want to admit this but Catra

\--

“And this is where we usually practice our choreo,” Adora tells Catra, gesturing into the dance studio. Half of Rebellion is already waiting there, looking up as they enter. Bow and Perfuma wave. Mermista does not move from her careful stretch position, but that one is a bitch so Adora does not blame her. Glimmer and Frosta are missing, but practice does not start for another few minutes anyway.

Half the day was supposed to be a practice day, truthfully, but they did not have any big performances coming up, so it was mostly just to stay on form. Adora managed to make some sad eyes at Angella and get the practice whittled down to just 2 hours before Adora was scheduled to go up and work on recording some demos for the new songs she had written since Catra came back into her life. Truthfully, only about half of them were even about love, but Adora had not been exaggerating when she called Catra her muse. She was almost Adora’s window into the world – the person she filters her experiences through. Without her, it was a lot harder to write songs about those experiences without getting to see Catra react to them too.

Glimmer comes in while Adora is laying out her jacket to give Catra a place to curl up against the wall while they practice. Glimmer raises an eyebrow, teasing smirk barely containing the words clearly welling up on her tongue. Adora sends her an obvious _shut up_ look while Catra settles on the jacket, balling herself up so she is facing the center of the studio, resting her head on her arms.

“Don’t be insulted if I fall asleep while you’re working,” Catra warns with a yawn, directing her gaze to Adora, but speaking loud enough to fill the room, “We were shooting until one AM last night and I did not get home until after three.” Adora already knows that – she had groggily woken for about five minutes when Catra slipped into the bed and her arms – so she knows she is speaking for the benefit of the rest of the group. Adora pauses beside her, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head and run a hand over her hair once before she stands. She gets a satisfied rumble in response. Adora joins the rest of the group in the center of the room as Frosta – chronically late – finally arrives.

Adora is glad today was just practice and running through some old choreo. She feels flustered, knowing Catra is watching her. She knows Catra is placing no pressure on her, but she places it on herself, wanting to impress her girlfriend. She keeps an eye on her out of the corner of her eye, noticing Catra’s eyes slipping closed a few times and breathing a bit easier herself when they do. Whenever the song changes, Catra’s eyes open again, not quite startling. Near the end of practice Catra moves, flopping on her back and humming along with the music now.

The soft scratch of her voice, combined with all the exertion, makes Adora flush. It is not until they are almost done, just three runs left, that Catra makes a thoughtless decision that thoroughly breaks Adora’s mind.

Softly, eyes slipping closed as she does so, she sings along with the song. She does it as if she is singing to herself, despite the way it feels like a calculated strike against Adora’s concentration to hear Catra singing _her_ song, even if it isn't one of the ones she wrote for Catra. Adora barely makes it through and her form is sloppy the entire time. When the number is done, she turns to glare at Catra. Catra still has her eyes closed. It does not matter; Bow speaks up and causes her to open her eyes again.

“Why didn’t you tell us you could sing?” he demands, face tinged with awe as he turns to look at Catra’s spot in the corner. Catra’s eyes open, not quite jolting, and her eyes find the group at the center of the room. Adora’s glare has softened, just by virtue of the realization they are going to have to have _this_ conversation now. Most of the group is looking at Catra with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and awe.

Catra scoffs, using the action to turn away from the group’s attention. Her ears are twitching back in discomfort at being the center of this kind of attention. “Because I don’t like music? That’s Adora’s thing. I was just trying to keep myself awake. I didn’t mean to be distracting, or whatever,” Catra shrugs, still turned off to the side. A dismissive flick of her ear signals the end of the conversation – to Adora, at least. The rest of the group presses on.

“Oh, you two should duet! It would be so cute!” Perfuma suggests, covering her mouth with her hands as she pictures it. Adora actually flinches, looking Catra’s way apologetically. Catra meets her gaze and just rolls her eyes, flopping back against her jacket.

“I’m not joining your group. I prefer to lie for a living, thanks,” Catra comments, dryly. Adora snorts at that, distinctly remembering when Shadow had made that comment about Catra’s chosen career. The fact that Shadow called Adora's passion a worthy art form while acting was treated as degenerate had always been a sore spot for Catra. Clearly she has come further on it, but Adora decides to jump in to save her girlfriend.

“Catra doesn’t like to sing, okay? Not songs, anyway. When she does it is like, a stream of consciousness thing. Leave her alone,” Adora tells them, pointedly pulling up the music for their next song. The group drops it, but from the way they eye Adora and then each other Adora knows the conversation is far from over.

\--

_Glimmer!! @glimmerbomb • Sunday, 1 hour ago_

They can BOTH sing this is so unfair

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @catxsword_

NO this can’t be true. Tell me it isn’t true I can’t handle this

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @glimglow_

Who is both?? Glimmer your subtweets are getting out of hand lmao

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @rebelswaterboy_

Uh the entirety of Rebellion is at BME right now with Catra right??? Who else could this tweet be about

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @abs.olutelyadoring_

@rebelswaterboy NO if she joins Rebellion for the next comeback I’ll lose my mind

_Sunday, 1 hour ago • Reply by @adorassheath_

@rebelswaterboy ADORA PUT THAT IN 'ONLY' REMEMBER “your midnight songs gave me love all summer long”!! GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Sunday, 30 minutes ago • Reply by @mermistary_

She’s going to kill you Glimmer

_Sunday, 11 minutes ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@mermistary She can TRY she can’t call me out without admitting it

\--

Glimmer and Bow take Catra on a tour through the boring office parts of BME no one _really_ wants to see while Adora records her rough demos. The tour is bullshit and everyone knows it – they are just looking for an empty conference room to grill Catra in.

“We just want embarrassing high school stories,” Glimmer had assured her with a wicked grin as they lead Catra away.

When they reunite, Catra’s fur on her shoulders is a bit ruffled, which Adora can only imagine the reasons for, but she seems largely relaxed. Adora pulls her in with an arm around her waist and flexes her arm twice, squeezing her close. It is unspoken code – _everything alright?_ Catra answers by flicking her tail up, brushing it softly against where Adora’s arm wraps around her back – _I’m fine_.

Adora presses a kiss to her temple and sends a grateful smile to Bow and Glimmer. They look a bit confused, but glance at each other and seem to decide to let it go with a shrug. It was only a few seconds, but in a few brushes of affection Adora and Catra had an entire conversation, and Adora is assured Bow and Glimmer did not bring up Catra leaving again or go digging into bad memories.

They go up two floors, finding their way onto a small set where the rest of Rebellion is waiting. Catra eyes the small interview room with amusement, no doubt comparing it to some set she has seen – or just finding it quaint compared to a film set, perhaps – as she finds her way to lean against the wall and wait for them to be done. Catra does not usually do interviews, and though she would no doubt _come up_ , this was merely supposed to be a short social video to post on the group’s channel.

The call for quiet goes out as all of Rebellion settles in tiered seating on the middle of the set. Adora, being one of the taller members, usually does her best to sit at the back. She thinks that is a perfectly reasonable argument – unfortunately, being the leader, she is often placed front and center. Today she pointedly sits in the back between Perfuma and Mermista after she is directed to sit in the front.

She glares at Micah – just a little bit, she does not know if she could ever bring herself to be harsh with such a kind man – when he raises an eyebrow in response. Nepotism has benefits, because he sighs and lets it go when Glimmer sits in the chair he had indicated for Adora to take. Glimmer shoots Adora a thumbs up over her shoulder and Adora shoots her finger guns back.

Unfortunately, when she looks up from sending Glimmer the look, she realizes the light is on and that whole exchange was recorded. She can already see the gifs that are going to flood her replies now. Seeing gifs of her own reactions being used by others will never stop being weird – although not as weird as it still is to talk about _herself_.

Now knowing she is on camera, Adora launches into the traditional _This is Rebellion, here to answer your questions_ speech, pausing for other members to jump in at their parts and for their group greeting. As soon as she finishes, she looks expectantly to Micah, off camera but a known presence as he begins to address the group and individual members with fan-submitted questions.

Micah has done a good job filtering the questions this time, even though Adora _knows_ what the nature of most of them has to have been. Aside from their recent single – which was _also_ about Catra – there really is no other news for the group other than Adora’s new and suddenly-public love life. Still, a lot of the questions end up being standard fare for fan-submitted prompts. The kind of things she used to get tweets asking, and still would if she ever looked at her public mentions.

It has to come up eventually, though. Group members never get to hear the questions ahead of time – it is trusted that anything that could be a problem to bring up will be told to the manager, and they can make sure things are appropriately filtered in advance without losing the element of genuine reaction to the questions. For a long time, Adora's filter was absolutely anything about her past or love life.

Micah makes eye contact with Adora a moment before he speaks, an unspoken warning to brace herself. “Adora, was it easier to film a music video with someone you were actually involved with?” Micah reads off, still making semi-apologetic eye contact. Adora could sigh in relief. She should not have doubted him, but she had still been worried about these questions. Micah picked the perfect question to give a fluffy, bullshit answer to or give a more honest reflection if she was up to it.

Adora glances to her right to make eye contact with Catra from her spot a few feet away, still leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Catra flicks her ear with a small shrug – unbothered by how Adora chooses to handle this.

Adora turns towards the camera and smiles a little. “Way easier, even if I didn’t know what I was getting into. We all know my acting skills are a running joke. With Catra, it was just a natural day that happened to have a lot of cameras around it. The kiss was unscripted and unplanned. It was just something that felt right in the moment,” Adora answers, shrugging a little at the end. There, plenty of honesty without exposing too much of the truth. She and Catra had both decided the public never needed to know when they broke up or got back together.

She glances to her right again to catch Catra’s eye and finds her tail twitching with amusement and eyes _dancing_ , visible even having to look past the glare of set lights to see it. Adora knows that look – that was the look that led to there being a tweet publicly inviting thirst tweets on her account a few weeks back.

Catra stands from the wall and circles closer to set, coming to a halt beside Micah and exchanging a look with him. Micah smiles, almost excited, and motions her on. No one had asked Catra if she wanted to be a part of this interview – she was not a part of the group, after all – but her sudden appearance in the video will no doubt help its views. Apart from the occasional photos a fan or paparazzi has managed to catch of them, they have never made an official appearance together.

Catra circles around the side of set to walk in around the back and drape herself over Adora’s shoulders, leaning forward and whispering to the camera almost conspiratorially. “Adora was on a two-week writing retreat leading up to the shoot, and I was a last-minute hire. The person in charge of hiring,” Bow does a stoic job of not shifting uncomfortably, “had no idea who I was or that we were dating. I just assumed that Adora had requested me when I got the offer. I was almost as surprised as her when she walked onto the shoot on the day of and didn’t know I would be there. She spilled her coffee everywhere when she saw me,” Catra says, eyes dancing with satisfaction as she pulls back from her secretive lean forward.

“Hey, I didn’t spill it, I _dropped it_. There’s a–“

“There is no difference. You were completely dumbstruck seeing Catra there. I could see that even watching from halfway across the set,” Frosta cuts in, waving her off. She turns to look at the camera. “They are _disgusting_ ,” she complains, whining just a little. Her fellow group members laugh with her – and at her, a bit – but Adora merely shrugs because she knows she has no real argument. Catra’s answering purr is light enough Adora would not pick it up without the feeling of it running through her shoulders.

“You’ll understand one day, icicle,” Catra promises Frosta, pulling back to slip out of frame again. As she pulls back, her hand lingers on Adora’s shoulder, squeezing lightly before falling away. Catra slinks back out from under the lights of the set, a smug smirk in place, apparently all too satisfied with how she has exposed Adora.

Frosta pulls a face at Catra’s words, but at least she doesn’t retch. Perfuma jumps to assure her she is young and will find love one day, completely derailing the rest of the interview more than Catra has already done. Micah manages to wrangle them back on topic, and after a few more questions, they reach the end and give their practiced sign off.

The moment cut is called Adora is slipping off her seat and going to meet Catra against the wall. Catra watches her approach in amusement, tail flicking smugly when Adora raises a challenging eyebrow and places a hand on the wall beside her head to let her lean in closer.

“Thanks for that, it’s the only thing I’m going to get questions about from now on,” Adora tells her, but they both know she isn’t actually upset. 

“And now they will be too caught up on the drama of it to ask the more invasive questions. _You’re welcome_ ,” Catra responds, still smug, tail sweeping out to wrap around the back of Adora’s legs.

“If you two start making out in front of me, I _will_ expose your secrets on Twitter,” Frosta threatens from behind them. Adora narrows her eyes, glaring indistinctly at Catra’s left ear, but she pulls back. Catra’s face makes it obvious she counts Adora's withdrawal as a win in her favour. She strolls forward, raising one hand to play with Adora’s collar while she looks up at her with smug satisfaction.

“Don’t worry, we will have plenty of time together _later_. Sooner than later, if you want to head back to Swift Wind now,” Catra promises.

Well, shit. Maybe losing isn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never heard Adora's VA sing but we all know AJ kills it, so yes Catra can sing in this AU too, she just refuses to do so in public because of Shadow. She likes to hum/sing to herself as she works around the house sometimes.  
> I only wrote a few scattered lyrics for it since I haven't written a full song since uhhhh freshmen year of college, but because people have been asking: the jist of Parallel is that it is a yearning song about running in parallel to each other and being unable to close the gap. It has one or two lyrics scattered in it alluding to a _different_ way they could be parallel to each other - until the bridge, where it basically breaks down to lets lay parallel "under your love" aka we are always parallel so lets make it the fun kind and top me. There's like three layers of denial going on here and Adora is relying on all of them but literally no one is fooled. She wrote the initial version of the song (which later got cleaned up with a co-writer) in high school when all she and Catra wanted was to be together but the best they could do was kiss in the dead of night occasionally.


	9. i want to walk with you on this rough path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra snorts, short and derisive. “No, I liked it. I liked it the instant you posted that picture of you getting it, laying facedown and shirtless. Do you know how much it pissed me off to see that picture and know I wasn’t the only one looking?” Catra asks, and even now, the ghost of her righteous fury can be heard. Adora flushes, thinking back to the photo Glimmer had taken and posted for her just before the artist wrapped her new piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey here’s a fun fact don’t give milk to cats. They, like pretty much every species except a minority percentage of humans, are lactose intolerant once they reach adulthood.  
> Title from Valkyrie by ONEUS. It’s a catradora song ok.

“To the end of a shitty shoot!” Catra calls happily, raising her glass.

“To friends!” Scorpia calls back in reply, meeting her for the cheers happily. With no drink to join the motion, Adora salutes instead, which makes Catra snort just before she takes her sip. The sound makes Adora’s chest clench with fondness. Perfuma, also a designated driver for her girlfriend, just claps happily.

“Aw, you didn’t wait for us?” Glimmer asks, pouting a little as she slides onto the bench seat next to Catra. The rest of Rebellion trails behind her.

“Don’t worry, Sparkles. From what I hear, you’re a lightweight. You will have plenty of time to get wasted before I’m even buzzed,” Catra assures her, cocky as she elbows Glimmer lightly. Glimmer retaliates by making a move to pull her tail - like a _child_ , Adora would point out - but Catra dodges by practically rolling into Adora’s lap. Her drink sloshes, threatening to spill, but luckily stays off their jeans.

“Introducing you two was a mistake, but getting you both near alcohol is a terrible idea,” Adora sighs, arms coming up to wrap around Catra’s waist as Bow leans around Glimmer to give her a sympathetic look in return. He is also a designated driver tonight, though Catra is probably right that when they all part she will be at most buzzed while Glimmer will be drunk.

“I still don’t get why we couldn’t go to that boozy ice cream place. They have regular ice cream, too, and half of us aren’t drinking,” Frosta complains as she sits opposite them in the VIP booth. Normally people under 21 aren’t allowed in this club, but for Rebellion the manager has made an exception. Frosta has a black cross on her hand she eyes with disdain.

“Because it’s lactose, icicle. I’m a magicat, I’m tired of bitchy coworkers and long commutes, and I want to have a good time with my friends and their weird dance team,” Catra shoots back, tone teasing and playful. She really is in a good mood, with her shoot having wrapped that afternoon. She had wanted to go out to celebrate, and with Scorpia the only member of Frght-Z in town and Glimmer already on her invite list, Catra had suggested they just go out with the group. Perfuma was guaranteed to come since Scorpia was in town to visit her between shows on Frght-Z’s international tour, and Bow would come if Glimmer did. That really only left Mermista and Frosta behind if she had not extended the invite. Plus Sea Hawk, as Mermista’s ride.

Catra orders a round of drinks for the table. It feels odd still, even after a month, to be sitting in the middle of club with Catra in her lap as they wait for the waitress to bring their drinks over. The VIP section is more private than the rest of the club, but if Adora keeps her eyes out she can still see people pulling out their phones while looking towards Rebellion’s table. Some of them just send a message, others take photos. The true benefit of the VIP section is no one approaches them at least.

It isn’t _normal_. It is not the same as when they were sixteen, not-quite together but kissing in the dead of night and going on dates when they could sneak away without Shadow noticing for an hour or two. It isn’t the same as nineteen, officially dating and living together, kissing happily in public with no worries as they set out on whatever free date they could figure out in the LA that day between their part-time jobs, Catra’s auditions, and Adora’s training.

The fear of those earliest years is gone. Some of the freedom of that later year and a half is gone, too, and never coming back – the lingering stares from strangers is a stark reminder of that. But it is also freer in other ways, the two of them sitting in the fancy club that Catra had always wanted to be successful enough to get into when they were eighteen and starry-eyed. It is freer because despite being _out_ then, now they sit surrounded by friends who know not only who Adora and Catra are, but who _Adora and Catra_ are.

Adora gets oddly choked up, watching Mermista swipe the drink Catra has to get a taste of her cocktail as Catra complains about getting secondhand contamination from Sea Hawk. As Sea Hawk starts on an emotional speech about his weirdly detailed dental routine, apparently trying to dissuade Catra, Adora flags down a waitress and has her get another drink. Catra flicks her tail over her hands in a silent _thank you_ , throwing her an easy grin that makes Adora’s already-watery breathing catch. She can’t resist it any longer and pulls out her phone. She begins typing as the waitress returns with Catra’s new drink. Catra sips it as she peers down at Adora’s screen.

“That’s cheesy. It suits you, though,” she comments, turning to press a kiss to Adora’s cheek. Glimmer raises an eyebrow, trying to lean around Catra to see Adora’s screen and failing as Catra strategically elbows her.

“What is she doing? Tweeting about your love or something?” Glimmer asks, making a half-hearted grab for Adora’s phone. She has barely gotten halfway through her first drink, but her coordination is already failing. She is going to be _gone_ in another hour. It will be funny as long as she does not let Sea Hawk talk her into playing with a lighter again.

“Uh, no? Whenever she gets quiet and then pulls out her phone it means she is writing songs. You’ve known her three years, Sparkles, how have you not noticed? This is how all her songs are written. She does it in the middle of _sex_ sometimes,” Catra tells Glimmer. Glimmer was a breath before taking another sip, but luckily still firmly _before_ , so a spit-take does not go over the table at Catra’s revelation. It is close though, Glimmer putting her drink back down as she is overtaken by a coughing fit. Adora feels her face heat as she continues to type, resolutely not looking up at her fellow idols.

“That only happened twice,” she mutters, far too embarrassed to defend herself further. She hears a crow of laughter from the other side of the table and does not unpack who it originated from.

“And it happens like once a week while we are still in the making out phase. You’re such a sap,” Catra returns, but her voice is soaked in fondness. Adora chances looking up to meet her eyes, cheeks still blazing as Glimmer continues to cough in the background. There are plenty of drinks around the table, but no water to ease her way through Catra’s unexpected announcement.

Catra’s eyes are soft as they flick between Adora’s phone screen and her face. Her gaze trails down from Adora’s eyes, catching the blush, and landing on her lips. Adora has never needed more encouragement than that to kiss her girlfriend. She presses forward, meeting her slowly and lovingly, drawing it out for a long moment before she falls back against the booth seat with a happy sigh.

“Disgusting,” Mermista comments, high-fiving Frosta without looking.

Adora doesn’t care. Not when Catra is looking down at her like that.

\--

_Adora Gayskull @adoragrayskull • Friday, 18 hours ago_

Congratulations to my wonderful girlfriend @catracyra for the end of a long movie shoot <3 You’re such an inspiration in so many ways

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Saturday, 7 hours ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@adoragrayskull You know I’ll give it to you, you finally learned subtlety

_Saturday, 6 hours ago • Reply by @glimmerbomb_

@catracyra Stop flirting via Twitter while I deal with your movers it’s disrespectful to the single among us

_Saturday, 6 hours ago • Reply by @catracyra_

@glimmerbomb No wonder you have been single for so long if that’s why you think flirting is. Need some tips? It will definitely spice things up for you if I show you my moves.

\--

Luckily, the sellers let them do some work on the house while the title and sale were being finalized. They will need to do more work at a later date, but there will probably be a window where Catra has to live away for a shoot while Adora is on tour, so that becomes a _future_ problem. They finalize everything on Friday after Catra’s shoot, and on Saturday Catra puts Melog on his leash while Adora greets Glimmer and Bow at their apartment, and then the movers.

They take Melog to the beach, the stray wary of strangers in his territory and thus far too stressed by the movers, and trust Glimmer and Bow will direct the movers well enough that they can fix any remaining issues when they arrive at their house that evening.

Melog loves the beach, it turns out – far more than Catra does. He bounds across the sand, for once attracting more attention than Catra and Adora themselves. It is winter, but winter in _LA_ , so there are plenty of beachgoers. They picked a less popular beach, so they avoid crowds, but Catra is still forced to hiss and few times before _Melog_ does when strangers try to approach them to pet him – not that he does not echo his mom dutifully.

As they walk, Catra loops her arm around Adora’s back, resting her head on her shoulder and rumbling softly as her fingers invisibly trace the lines of the tattoo on her back. It isn’t hard to do – Adora is in a crop top and the raised line of the scar it covers outlines the edge of the blade.

“I got so mad when you first had this done,” Catra says, conversationally, as she taps her fingers against the outline of the sword as if there was any doubt about the subject matter. Adora feels herself frowning, glancing down at her girlfriend to find her placid and serene as they walk.

“Did you… not like it?” Adora asks, unsure. They have never talked about her tattoo before. She had it done at the end of Rebellion’s first tour, awhile after Catra had left her. The sword referenced one of their singles, but also just the fact Adora was a giant lesbian. Adora had always talked about getting a tattoo, and Catra had always said she could see that being sexy or an utter mistake, depending on what she ended up getting. It had been on her back so long Adora had not really thought of it by the time Catra came into her life again, but now she suddenly feels a jolt of anxiety over it.

Catra snorts, short and derisive. “No, I liked it. I liked it the instant you posted that picture of you getting it, laying facedown and _shirtless_. Do you know how much it pissed me off to see that picture and know I wasn’t the only one looking?” Catra asks, and even now, the ghost of her righteous fury can be heard. Adora flushes, thinking back to the photo Glimmer had taken and posted for her just before the artist wrapped her new piece.

“I, uh, wasn’t thinking about that when I posted it. I just wanted you to see it. I didn’t know if you would, but I knew Scorpia would at least tell you about it. It felt wrong to be doing it without at least _telling_ you, but – you didn’t want to hear from me then,” Adora explains, cheeks flushed as Catra’s fingers continue to trail along the design. Adora can practically feel her skin crawling from the blatant intent in the touch, a thrum of energy gathering beneath her skin that she does her best to stamp down. Melog glances back over his shoulder at them, as if _judging_ her.

Catra gives an almost-inquisitive trill, surprised and questioning. “I didn’t know that. I assumed you just wanted to show it off. Fuck, the comments on that photo- I got so worked up about other people seeing you like that, talking about you like that, when I _couldn’t_. I wanted nothing more than to be in your life, but it had been so painful before…” Catra trails off, ears pressing back as she raises her head from Adora's shoulder to turn it away, looking out towards the ocean. “I was so frustrated at you, and myself, and the group since I blamed them for coming between us. And I was _frustrated_ looking at that picture, because somehow you only got more ripped while we were apart,” she adds, cheeks flushed.

Maybe she was trying to take the conversation to a more light-hearted place than it was tracking before, but the current thread is making Adora’s own face heat as she, quite unsubtly, turns them around to walk them back in the direction of the car. It will take awhile to reach Swift Wind again, but she needs to get them at least out of where they risk being overheard. Luckily, the wind has picked up and a lot of beachgoers seem to be abandoning the water and shore. It is too cold to be in a wet swimsuit, maybe, but Adora’s internal train of thought is providing plenty of heat to her body.

“And then I read the _comments_ on it, because I’m as much of a masochist as you are, apparently,” Catra adds, rolling her eyes. She sneaks a glance at Adora then, smirking at Adora’s flush. “I got so jealous I damn near tore up my apartment just to get my frustration out. I, uh, I actually went to the local thrift store and dropped twenty on a beat-up armchair so I had something to sink my claws into,” Catra admits, her own face flushing as she now fixes her gaze on the pier in the distance before them.

Adora turns, startling at the admission enough for Catra’s arm to fall away from where it is wrapped around her. A flash of panic shades Catra’s face before she wraps her arms around herself, continuing to walk with her head hung just a little.

“No, hey, _Catra wait_ ,” Adora calls, rushing to catch up and wrap an arm around Catra’s waist, pulling her back flush against her chest. Catra draws in a sharp breath, Melog turning and flattening his ears at the sound. He surveys the two of them, Adora blinking down at him in surprise of Catra’s shoulder. After a moment Melog seems to decide she isn’t a threat to Catra and turns back to face forward, his tail flicking. Just like Catra’s is, thudding against her leg lightly.

“You really had to do that?” Adora asks, voice soft as she curls around Catra’s back to rest her head on her shoulder.

Catra lets out a slow breath, still a little stiff in her arms, but relaxing slowly. “Yeah,” she admits softly. “I- was kind of a wreck after leaving. My emotions were all over the place. The delay to go buy the thing was about as close to self-restraint as I got then. Otherwise I would have just torn apart my kitchen cabinets and lost my security deposit,” she admits. Adora tightens her hold, turning her head to press an insistent kiss to the side of Catra’s neck. Catra practically sags in relief against her, like she thought Adora was going to judge her for _missing_ her. For needing her then, while Adora failed to be there for her.

“I’m sorry. For being so focused on trying to get us somewhere I completely lost sight of _us_. And I’m sorry for posting a dumb thirst trap to try to get your attention,” she says, adding the final bit for some levity. Catra chuckles lightly in her arms, turning to face her. Her own arms come up, draping over Adora’s shoulders as she looks up at her with a spark in her eyes.

“In your defense, it worked. I thought about that whenever I needed an _extra push_ for the next month at least,” Catra chuckles, pressing in to kiss her. Adora fights her brain shutting off for a valiant two seconds before she gives in to Catra, melting into her kiss and pulling her in hungrily.

Luckily Catra, at least, has enough presence of mind left to remember they are on a public beach before they can really start making out. She pulls back, the spark in her eyes fanned to a flame now.

“Let’s head home. The movers should be done with the heavy lifting, and I want to get you _alone_.”

\--

The movers are done, but time _alone_ is still a long way off. Adora is grateful to Glimmer and Bow for helping, but she kind of just wants to unpack their linens and call it a day. She can tell Catra is thinking the same thing with just a glance in her direction. Luckily, neither Glimmer or Bow seem to be able to read their thoughts. They stick around, despite only having been asked to cover for them with Melog, helping to unpack the boxes the movers had brought. All their furniture has been arranged as they had planned, even if they might need to move a few things later. The place still feels oddly bare, not enough furniture carried over from Adora and Catra’s tiny standard of living apartments to fill a four-bedroom house. They have next to none of the equipment for their home gym or Adora's music studio, so those rooms sit almost entirely empty as they set up the last few sundries and _finally_ get the bed set up in the guest room. Their new bed for the master bedroom will be arriving later in the week, now that they actually have room for a king. They can sleep in the guest bedroom for a few days.

Adora is sitting on the floor of the living room, ostensibly trying to sort out the cables behind the entertainment center, when a weird sense of melancholy at the empty house hits her. It is less about seeing the house empty, and more about the realization of how little they have – how little they have always had, and continued to have even when they could have better. It took the need to outrun their fans before they even let themselves consider a home, despite the fact that both of them could have afforded one on their own by then.

Adora is pretty sure she never would have bought a house without Catra, if only because she could not have lived with so much room without feeling the ghost of Catra’s empty space all around her.

Pulling out her phone, Adora strains her ears to listen for the sounds of Glimmer and Catra bickering upstairs over the clattering of Bow putting away dishes in the kitchen. She ends up absorbed in her phone, typing away slowly, lines coming to her one at a time with a breath between each of them. Catra’s voice grows louder, then fades again, as the words flow forward. After a few minutes, a breath comes and is never released, cursor freezing on the screen as no more lines come to her in the heat of the moment – or the weird, sustained sadness of the moment. Whatever.

Adora saves the note, scrolling through her list and realizing she has a few dozen songs saved up in her notes, waiting to get fleshed out in songwriting sessions. That does not even count the ones she has already gotten to work on in a songwriting session with one of the other group members or Spinerella, or the ones that have made it to a music and production session with Netossa.

In the distance, Catra’s laugh bounces off the walls of their new home. Adora exits her notes app and pulls up Twitter instead.

\--

_Adora Gayskull @adoragrayskull • Saturday, 3 minutes ago_

Might be a quick turnaround, but a lot of inspiration has entered my life lately.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Saturday, 3 minutes ago • Reply by @a_doors_fanpage_

NEW MUSIC!!! NEW ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Saturday, 2 minutes ago • Reply by @rebellious_lesbian_

ADORA YOU CANT JUST TWEET SHIT LIKE THIS

_Saturday, 2 minutes ago • Reply by @rebels_foradora_

This is either a comeback or engagement announcement and I am LOSING MY SHIT either way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catra will never stop baiting Glimmer over her old thirst tweets ok she doesn’t let things go. Glimmer and Bow are not together in this AU - yet. They live in a two bedroom apartment together and its lowkey killing both of them. They get together during Rebellion's third album release.  
> And yes there are absolutely fan photos of their walk on the beach. Twitter has a meltdown over the lesbians walking their cat cuddled together.  
> Agh I can’t believe this fic is almost over it has been so fun. Thanks for reading you guys <3


	10. in a movie only for us, the real hero was you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I kind of hate these things,” Catra whispers in her ear as Adora pulls her close for photos. “I thought the Oscars would be cooler than the film festivals, but it turns out it’s just more,” she complains, but her smile for the cameras doesn’t falter. She is the image of cool, content confidence. Adora squeezes Catra’s arm in what she hopes is subtle reassurance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Heroine by SUNMI. It’s a catradora song.  
> Like in all my fics and canon, magicats are really rare. It complicates things for Catra professionally cuz exoticism.  
> Adora’s wearing the wish dress but make it thotter. I also haven’t watched the Oscars since high school at the least and couldn’t be bothered to google so if I got the award order wrong – oops, but I don’t actually care lol. First I do a sports au despite not liking sports, now I do an idol/actress au despite not watching movies.

“No,” Catra says, batting Adora’s hand away as she reaches to fix Catra’s bow tie. Adora raises an eyebrow at her and Catra just smirks, a flash of fangs showing clear _intent_. “The look is _we just had sex in this limo_ ,” Catra explains, turning away in smug satisfaction to look out the window.

Adora would point out that her white dress is immaculate, as is her hair in its complex braid, while Catra’s flawless black suit covers a lazily-buttoned dress shirt and completely undone bowtie, her hair artfully tousled. Only _one_ of them looks like they have been up to something, but then again Catra was always the troublemaker amongst them.

“Is that the direction you gave your stylist?” she asks instead, because this is _Catra’s_ award show after all, and the least she can do is let her girlfriend look like a mess if she wants to. Adora likes the look personally, but they are going to stand out a lot. Then again, they already will just by the virtue of being them.

“Close. I said ‘messy lesbian, like I just had sex in the back of the limo, but make it classy’,” Catra corrects, throwing her another smug smirk as the car pulls to a halt at the red carpet. “You ready to show us off, princess?” Catra questions, holding out her hand. Adora takes it instantly.

\--

Despite having walked several red carpets for music award shows, Adora feels awkward on the Oscars red carpet. Part of it is not having Rebellion around her, a crowd of excited energy she can blend into, if needed. Part of it is the way her and Catra attract _attention_ , only getting reprieves when a big enough star walks by that the magicat and her lesbian musician tagalong suddenly aren’t the biggest story anymore. Another part of it is an odd need to impress, knowing this is not her world, not her show, and just wanting to do what she can to help Catra to enjoy herself at a place it has been her dream to reach since childhood.

“I kind of hate these things,” Catra whispers in her ear as Adora pulls her close for photos. “I thought the Oscars would be cooler than the film festivals, but it turns out it’s just _more_ ,” she complains, but her smile for the cameras doesn’t falter. She is the image of cool, content confidence. Adora squeezes Catra’s arm in what she hopes is subtle reassurance. Despite what it means to have made it to the Oscars, the red carpet is a lot, and Catra has never enjoyed being the center of attention the way Adora does. Catra wants singular and devoted attention, from one or two people, not a hundred blood-thirsty reporters and photographers calling after her constantly.

They make it through the photos, and despite it being the last thing either of them want to do, let themselves be called over by a reporter. They decided before coming they would get one good interview in before they let themselves flee the carpet and make their way inside the theater. Neither of them have made any public statements aside from their – even Adora can admit, disgustingly domestic – tweets and singular social media video since they publicly acknowledged being in a relationship with each other.

They are walking towards the reporter calling them over when a green hand enters their field of view. Catra nearly startles, turning to her left and pulling Adora with her from where she is hanging off her arm.

“DT? Why are you down here?” Catra questions, incredulous, despite the microphone now being held out to her. Two assistants flutter around the show’s host, one aiming a camera while the other, a pink fae so short she might not even be in frame, holds the microphone up for Catra to speak into.

“Expanding my host duties, darling! Everybody is down here, looking gorgeous and tempting, and you expect me to wait until the show? No, I’m doing red carpet interviews with the best-of-the-best to get this party really started!” Double Trouble tells Catra, dramatically gesturing while they speak. Their grin is teetering somewhere between shit-eating and threatening, but Adora is _pretty_ sure that is just their face.

Catra worked with DT on _Gunmetal_ , and according to Catra they have a “hot and cold” relationship. She had still mused that DT would be an entertaining host, at the least, when they had first discussed Adora coming as Catra’s date. Adora had not been expecting to actually _meet_ the actor.

“Alright, kitten, you ready to get this party started? I have _questions_ for you. The people are _curious_ ,” DT says, smiles dripping with dangerous intent. Adora has to repress a violent twitch at hearing someone else call Catra that. Her grip on Catra’s arm still tightens dangerously, and she does not miss the way it makes Catra smirk even as she rolls her eyes at DT’s statement. At least it does not seem like they _intended_ to be derogatory, even if that is usually the intent when other people call Catra that.

“For you? An exclusive. The only one we give tonight,” Catra promises. Her smile has a bit too much of her fangs in it. Adora realizes that however they feel about each other, DT and Catra are a dangerous combination. Not that it will necessarily be bad – Catra and Glimmer are often the same way – but it does make her eye the other actor carefully.

“Excellent! I’m not going to bother you with empty flattery about _Imitation_ , we both know you were stunning and you don’t need it,” DT says, clapping their hands together. Catra just inclines her head in acknowledgement. “I’ll give you sixty to talk about any projects you have coming up and then we can get to the _juicy_ part,” he instructs, tapping the head of the pink fae holding Catra’s mic. She raises it a little higher, wings quivering – if she is anything like Catra, it is in contained irritation.

“My next film has not been publicly announced yet, so I cannot say much about it, but I can say I will be playing the lead role and it will be a queer story. A Sundance type film, but the kind of role I’m passionate about, and can draw on my own experiences to give it the proper emotion it deserves. Filming starts in about three months. As exciting as all the buzz has been, it will be a relief to have some time off with my partner before we both get busy again,” Catra lists off. Adora watches her as she speaks, surprised by the blend of authentic Catra mannerisms and phrasing she uses with the poised confidence of PR speak bullshit. She had been expecting a solid mask tonight. Maybe Catra truly cannot be bothered with it – her personality has been shining through on her Twitter lately without any repercussions thus far, so maybe she is feeling safer being genuine.

Maybe she is just that excited about the role. She had called Adora the moment she got the offer, ecstatic to finally get to play a lesbian, especially in such an emotional role. “It has Oscar bait written all over it. Coming-of-age, coming to terms with one’s self, and the love interest dies before things can get too heated, don’t worry. Another lesbian tragedy, sure, but it will be such a fun role,” Catra had gushed, excitedly. She can’t say all that now, but maybe those words are still simmering beneath her skin. Maybe that is why she gives DT the obvious segue, to avoid saying too much. Catra usually has an impressive amount of control over herself, but when it slips it is always due to high emotions.

“Ah, your _partner_ ,” DT smiles, leers, maybe threatens? Adora cannot really tell with them. To her surprise, Catra beams, reaching an arm out to wrap it around Adora’s waist and pull her flush to her side. Adora fights a blush at the unexpected contact, smiling somewhat shyly at DT. Apparently Catra is better at reading DT than she is, because DT claps their hands together again and _coos_.

“You two are _sickening_ , darling. The childhood sweethearts schtick? Makes me _gag_ , but you wear it so well,” DT tells Catra. Adora – does not understand this conversation in the slightest, she realizes. Catra grins, tail swaying playfully behind her as she releases a low purr Adora highly doubts the microphone can pick up. Maybe that is the point – an extra layer to this conversation that the audience cannot pick up on. Assuming the audience is as clueless as Adora is about this, which she hopes they are.

“What can I say? I found what I wanted young. Good thing, too. It would have been such _work_ to find her when she was already married at thirty and have to steal her away from the picket-fence family she had built,” Catra says. Adora feels herself blushing, not really sure what to do with _any_ of that, except sit in the realization that Catra believes no matter when they met Adora would have been _it_ for her.

“I need my phone,” Adora mutters to herself. She has it, kind of, but it is inside Catra’s suit jacket right now, and she is not so shameless as to reach inside Catra’s pocket and start typing a note in the middle of an interview.

“And what does that mean, darling?” DT asks, angling their body towards her with their question. An excited spark is in their eye, ready to drag Adora down whatever corridor she has opened with her mindless admission.

“ _It means_ inspiration has struck, which is to say _me_ – and that we should be getting to our seats so Adora can finish her third album of lovestruck rambling,” Catra tells DT, dropping her arm from Adora’s waist and taking a step back to offer it properly to Adora. DT _pouts_ , ears falling in their disappointment.

“But I haven’t even gotten to ask you about your sex lives yet!” they protest, and Adora _thinks_ they are joking, but she hurriedly takes Catra’s arm before she can find out.

“Listen to the album,” Catra placates, making Adora practically combust on the spot as she sends the camera a sheepish look and is thankfully, mercifully lead away by Catra.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Adora whines, just a little, when Catra has finally led them out of earshot. Catra’s ear flicks towards her, an amused smirk still settled on her face.

“No, you’re just that fun to work up, princess.”

\--

Watching the ceremony in person – to Adora, at least – does not feel that different from watching it at home. The angle is shittier, but she has been to enough music awards that it feels fairly normal. She is shocked how similar it feels, truthfully. Nerves light her up every time someone mentions _Imitation_ and Catra in the list of nominees, just the same as it does when someone mentions Rebellion or their album on stage during a music awards show. _Imitation_ wins its nomination for Best Original Screenplay, officially making Catra an actress in an Oscar-winner, if not one herself.

Adora clutches Catra’s hand when Best Supporting Actress comes up. She almost feels more nervous than Catra, though she knows that is not true. Catra sits, lounging in her seat patiently as she watches the announcer with curiosity, but her tail is almost quivering where it drapes over the edge of her seat. The curious anticipation in her eyes has an edge to it, a bite. To the cameras, her mask is likely flawless, but Adora knows better.

She knows they both hold their breath as the envelope is opened and Catra’s name is read off. Adora is in tears instantly, turning and pulling Catra into an embrace without hesitation. She is so damn proud, nearly bursting with her love for the talented woman in her arms, but she also wants to pull her close and hide Catra’s immediate instinctual reaction. She gives Catra a few seconds to compose herself to how she wants to be seen by the world and then lets her go, still crying herself and smiling encouragingly as Catra stands to walk to the stage.

Catra is largely collected as she makes her way to stage, but watching on the big screens Adora can see her hands shake as she collects the award from the announcer and turns to face the microphone.

“First, I have to thank the amazing cast and crew we had. A single actor’s performance means nothing without talented cinematographers, colour graders, editors, and the like. We are nothing without your hard and often over-looked work, so thank you,” Catra lists off, likely memorized and prepared. Adora has heard the seed of the rant in this thank you – something Catra quickly realized after coming to Hollywood. Behind all the lights and glamour are hundreds of people working their asses off to make something usable. Catra’s righteous fury at finding her dream no less manipulative and exploitative than corporate America had been hot and furious at the time. Adora is not surprised she has included it in her speech.

“Thank you to my partner, for always supporting me even when I made it difficult, and for encouraging me to chase my dream. I have someone I have to acknowledge, for telling me acting is a useless profession where you lie for a living. Thanks for your misplaced doubt, but I’ve got the award to prove I’m one of the best damn liars out there,” Catra finishes, with a derisive smile, and then she raises the award and walks away.

\--

_Imitation_ loses its final nomination for Best Picture, but it doesn't really matter to either of them when Catra has her award.

There is an afterparty, but they don’t go to it. “I thought I would care more, but now I have the award – that is all I needed. All I wanted from this. To just have that proof that I was good enough. I just want to be with you, now,” Catra tells her when Adora questions if she is sure. Adora has no response to that except to eagerly agree.

They end up on their couch when they get home, Adora with her makeup taken off and hair down, shoes kicked aside, but still in her slinky white dress. Catra is still in her suit pants and button down, but her shoes and jacket are discarded around the living room. Her bow tie vanished almost as soon as they got through the front door.

They sit on their couch, Catra splayed out on her side with her head in Adora’s lap, and Melog curled up on the cushion against Catra’s hip. They watch the ceremony on the TV, fast forwarding through most of it, but making sure to pause whenever they remembered something entertaining happening, or there was a mention of Catra or _Imitation_.

They watch Catra’s speech again. She looks incredibly composed to the camera, the only tell her shaking hands as she takes the award.

“I was scared shitless I would drop it. I almost ended my speech with ‘rot in hell’,” Catra tells her, not looking away from the screen as the recording of her raises the award and walks away, music starting to play in the commercial break.

“Do you think she will watch it?” Adora asks, watching Catra’s reaction. Her ear flicks as Adora’s hands brush it in her path stroking through Catra’s mane, but she looks almost serene.

“I think… it doesn’t matter. It is out there, if she wants to judge me. But her judgement did not stop me from getting there, or here, for that matter. I have the award she always told me was junk anyway, and I have you. I could retire from movies vindicated and be a housecat for the rest of my days. It doesn’t matter. I’m happy here,” Catra tells her, turning her head away from the TV to look up at her with open, honest eyes. Adora feels her breath catch, staring down at Catra in awe.

“I love you. And I would support you, if you wanted to just be a housewife, but I am so damn proud of you,” Adora tells her, hand moving to cup Catra’s cheek. She knows it was a joke – but she also wants Catra to know she loves her no matter what.

Catra’s eyes go just a little wide, her ears twitching, and then a smile starts to spread on her face that she has to fight to cover up with a smirk. Adora is not fooled.

“I said house _cat_ , if I recall correctly, but please tell me more about this word you have introduced to the conversation, now,” Catra tells her, smirk spreading as Adora’s brain runs through the last few moments and _stops_.

“I- uh-” is the closest thing Adora gets to a reply, face heating as she realizes what she has said. Catra laughs, light and happy, as she sits up to press a gentle kiss against Adora’s absolutely _useless_ mouth.

“It’s okay. A conversation for later, yeah?” Catra prompts, amusement dancing in her eyes. Adora swallows, biting her lip.

She should let it lie.

“But not much later?” is what she says, instead. A slow grin spreads across Catra’s face, no trace of a covering smirk left. She presses forward again, the kiss slow and loving.

“Not _much_ ,” Catra agrees as she pulls back. A purr rises between them as Adora wraps a hand around the back of Catra’s head, pulling her back in with a need to respond to _that_ , but no verbal language capable of conveying her feelings.

The kiss seems to do it, though, if Catra’s answering gasp of delight is anything to do by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene! I got possessed by that scene with Catra showing up on Adora’s shoot without her knowing and it sprouted into this wonderful fluffy break of a fic. Thanks to everyone who commented, you guys have been cracking me up and warming my heart <3  
> Catra and Adora tradeoff who leads on the red carpet. Catra hangs off Adora’s arm for her music shows, and vice versa for Catra’s film awards.  
> Here, some post-fic life facts: Adora proposes to Catra the day after she wraps filming on her new film, almost five months later. She says yes, obvs. Adora was waiting for filming to wrap, but she was also waiting because three months after the Oscars Rebellion’s third album is released, and she wants to give Catra that press tour and first two months after to really prove to her that she has changed before she proposes.  
> Rebellion continues to put out an album every year and a half to two years. Catra actually was only lowkey joking about becoming a housecat – she has a strict rule of only taking 1-2 significant roles a year, since filming a movie usually takes 2-3 months on average. That way she gets to spend most of the year with Adora. It is not unusual for major actors to only be in two films a year, but she makes it a maximum. She loves acting, but it’s a brutal profession, and they are successful enough this lets her be choosy with her roles. She starts branching out more into shorter acting roles like music videos, but she never goes back to commercials (bad memories) or switches to TV (long hours).  
> When she’s not filming and Rebellion tours, Catra travels with them cuz spending time together is important to her. Melog comes with them as they travel and he lowkey loves walking around airports on his leash as long as strangers merely coo at him and don't actually approach. That’s p much all I can think of right now!


End file.
